A Letter to Myself

Do you ever have days where you feel frozen, so sad and overwhelmed that you are unable to do anything? Even the smallest of tasks seem insurmountable, and being a human is an impossible feat?

Well, I frequently struggle from those. Recently, I wrote myself a letter, a pep talk of sorts, to refer to the many times when I feel this way. I am sharing it so that others who may benefit from reading it can as well.

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Dear Me,

I know today feels heavy.

It’s not even necessarily because anything went catastrophically wrong, but because everything—even the smallest of things—feels like too much. And, you’re tired; so very tired. Emotionally, mentally, physically… you’re absolutely worn thin. You don’t feel like getting up, and honestly, that’s okay. You’ve been carrying more than people can see, and that includes yourself. You don’t give yourself enough credit.

Laying here in bed doesn’t make you the lazy piece of shit you think you are. Crying, even when it’s uncontrollable bawling, doesn’t mean you’re weak. Feeling stuck and frozen in place doesn’t mean you’ve failed. These are simply signs that your mind and body need gentleness, not judgment.

“Listen to your body. It has a lot of inside knowledge.” -Annie Edwards

So, breathe.

Let the weight of your blanket you desperately grasp hold you without guilt. Let it hug you. You could use a hug right now. Let the stream of tears fall without apology. For once, don’t hold back. Just let it flow. Let the silence around you as you gather yourself speak louder than your inner critic for a while.

But when the moment comes, and it will, when you feel the tiniest spark of “maybe,” I want you to follow it. You don’t need to overhaul your whole day. You don’t need to become a different version of yourself in a flash of motivation. You just need to take one small step.

Get up.

Sit up.

Move to the edge of the bed.

Feel your feet on the floor.

Feed yourself something. Anything. Not because you “should,” but because you deserve to be nourished. You are not a machine that only gets rest after producing results. You are a human being whose worth is not tied to productivity.

You do not need to earn rest.

You do not need to earn care.

You do not need to be “better” to be worthy.

If the most you do today is eat something and rinse your face, that is still effort. That is still showing up. That is still trying.

I know you want to feel more like yourself again. And I know it’s frustrating when your energy doesn’t match your intentions. But healing doesn’t always feel like progress. Sometimes it feels like stillness. Sometimes, like nothing. Sometimes, like crying in bed and wondering if you’re ever going to feel okay again. You get the point. It comes in many forms.

But let me remind you: you’ve made it through days like this before. It has seemed impossible, but you have done it. You’ve sat in the dark and found your own light again. You’ve felt numb, then felt too much, then somehow made it through both. And you’re still here. That alone is enough.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t even have to be “okay” right now.

But I hope you’ll give yourself permission to try. Not to do everything. Not to fix everything. But just to try one thing.

Maybe that’s food.

Maybe that’s a warm shower.

Maybe it’s changing your clothes or brushing your hair or opening the blinds.

You’re not failing at life because it feels hard. You’re experiencing a very real kind of pain. And that deserves compassion—not criticism.

So be kind to yourself today. Speak to yourself the way you would speak to someone you love if they were hurting. You wouldn’t yell at them to “snap out of it.” You wouldn’t shame them for struggling. You’d wrap them in softness. You’d say, “It’s okay to feel this way. You’re not alone.”

So say that to yourself now.

Say it out loud if you need to.

“It’s okay to feel this way. I’m not alone. I’m doing the best I can.”

And the truth is, you are doing the best you can. And that best is going to look different every single day. It doesn’t make today any less valid than yesterday, or tomorrow any less possible than today.

You don’t need to rush.

You just need to breathe.

And when you’re ready… take one step.

I’m rooting for you, always.

With love,

Me

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Part one: