“I’m fine”. I swear that’s always my answer when someone asks, “how are you doing?”
It’s been happening even more often these days with the (don’t say pandemic) going on. The days mash into one but the answer is always the same.
According to psychotherapist, Sharon Martin, this is because we’re avoiding the issue. We’re avoiding conflict, painful feelings and our problems, so we just say “I’m fine”. She recommends simply acknowledging whatever you’re feeling without judgement. There’s no shame in feeling beaten down by this (don’t say pandemic)! We’re all going through it and if we’re honest with each other… we’re all probably feeling down more often right now.
She goes further to recommend a therapist if you want, but you can start by just naming what you’re feeling.
I’m not trying to preach. I just know that I’ve been feeling some hopelessness lately so I’m looking for a solution. Maybe it will work for you too!