Even when the suffering isn’t always outwardly visible, there’s still the weighty baggage of pain that is oftentimes shouldered by those with invisible conditions. It’s important we keep an open mind so the people who are already feeling alone don’t become more isolated.
I don’t want to be stressing out about when I can fit cooking into my already hectic schedule. I recognize food is a necessity, so I must consume at least something, but I don’t want to be constantly thinking about it. Meal prepping has been a lifesaver in that regard.
When there is a cat in my life, I feel better. They bring me joy that is more apt than any television show, movie, hobby, class or even some people can bring me. And this isn’t just something that I feel either. I am not alone in this.
I have apologized for many things. Things I had absolutely nothing to do with. And if I had a nickel for every time? I’d absolutely be rich. There is a tendency to apologize for things that we have no control over. And I want it to end, or at least for the narrative to change. Not just for my sake, but for the sake of others.
The Green New Deal was introduced in 2019, and it didn’t pass. Do we not owe the planet that we are destroying every day a chance to survive?
I have witnessed firsthand how academic validation can cause students anxiety and unneeded stress. Many of my closest friends in high school felt the need for academic validation that I do. Those same friends often were so focused on getting the perfect grades that they didn’t have a life outside of the classroom.
Success can be achieved only when we are not constantly getting burnt out or feeling at war in our own minds. In a sense, hobbies are the toolkits we need to break out of our heads and have healthy mental states.
Society needs to stop treating mental illness like a personality trait or a lifestyle. It can be crippling. OCD can be crippling. People are obsessed with the idea that having a mental illness such as OCD makes you different, and that it makes you stand out. But once you have it, all you really want is to fit in.
I’m not saying love languages have to take over your whole life, but in my experience, having them in the back of your mind and putting in an effort makes things easier.
Mare Castner of Muncie, Indiana and Susan Smith of Wales have been friends for 47 years. Their only interaction for 25 years was exchanging letters, but even across thousands of miles, they have supported each other through thick and thin.
