So You Had a Bad Daze

I am taking a cue from Haley this week. It's time for a little chat about mental wellness. Dear friends, I'm going to be honest. March is never a great month for me. It's like one bad day after another. Oh, March. Final papers, interviewing for summer employment, the seemingly eternal flow of readings, elections, finding roommates and an apartment for next year. Everything. I'm having one of those weeks where all you want to do is nothing. It's that feeling where everything you do suddenly has some measure of futility. It's that noise in the back of your head that's telling you that you're less than. That moment where the notion of being a hermit doesn't seem funny anymore, because what other choice do you have? It's the type of depression that makes me wilfully ignore my responsibilities. A depression so powerful that fully waking up before 3pm is a battle. If you've ever experienced depression then you probably know what I'm describing.  I'm not a doctor, nor am I going to claim that I know everything about depression. The one thing I do know, however, is that it isn't something you just conveniently get over. If you know someone dealing with a bout - don't tell them to be happy. Don't invalidate their feelings. Let them have their space until they choose to approach you for help. That being said, there's nothing wrong with spreading a little positivity.  If you are reading this, depressed or not, I want you to know that your feelings are real. No one has the right to tell you otherwise.You are not alone. You are still so much more than that. There's so much more to you than that disappointing grade you got on that paper. You are more than that job interview that didn't go so well. You are more than that party you skipped because you couldn't get out of bed. You are more than this instance of melancholy. You are so much more. I promise. Things will get better. Maybe it'll get better a day from now. Maybe it'll get better a year from now. The point is that it will get less difficult at some point. It won't be entirely gone, but it will get better. It will.

Until then - remember what a resilient human being you are. You've been through this before, and you know this feeling won't last forever. You are a student at one of the best institutions in the world, and you got here because of you. You're going to make it through because of you. Things may seem overwhelming now, but just keep looking ahead. Best, Ondiek