We often think that feeling blue is related to sadness, feeling blue is crying, feeling blue is being quiet.
Today it was described to me like this:
'Sometimes it can be quite the opposite. I can be smiling but I want to cry, I am talking but I just want to be quiet. It's like I pretend I am happy but really I am not'.
When we are feeling blue it is not always obvious. Feeling blue can be the norm, and it also can be an indicator of underlying dis-ease when these feelings become excessive, all-consuming and interfere with daily living.
For some we become so sick of feeling blue, so tired of trying that on the inside we feel like giving up or running away.
If it becomes too much, we can turn to substances to take away these moments of feeling blue or pain but after a while the pain learns how to swim.
It's amazing how we think we know someone, but we might not know them at all.
I don't think we understand how stressful it is to try and explain what we are feeling or what is going on in our head when sometimes we don’t even understand it ourselves.
We often hide behind a smile when we carry the heavy weight of our stress. It is okay to show our smile, we know the power this can have but it is important to make sure someone knows how we really feel.
If we don't hear from someone for a few days, we ask if they are okay but if we hear from someone every day, we assume that they are.
Remember to tell people you love them, be a trustworthy friend, tell them that they matter.
People who care will ask how you are doing. People who love you will wait for you to tell the truth.
You are not alone.
Remember to pay attention to your gut-brain connection. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms.