I love the song “I Am Not Okay” by Jelly Roll, it starts by talking about how he is barely getting by and how he loses sleep at night. It continues to talk about how sometimes he wants to just stay in bed! (take a listen if you haven’t)
Haven’t we all been there? Aren’t there days that we feel like we are barely getting by and why did we even get out of bed? But how do you tell others that you are not okay (because sometimes we are not) and need some sort of help? AND remind yourself that it is okay that you are NOT okay!
As someone who tries to be positive and make others happy, it can be hard to tell others that you need help. And when I am talking about help that could be that someone is “going through a tough time” or “having a bad day”. Just saying we are not okay can make us vulnerable. So how do we help others when we notice that maybe they are not okay?
It is okay to ask someone if they are not okay but you and I know that often they say they are okay even when they are not. There is a difference between letting them know you are honestly concerned and that you are available to talk if they need to talk about whatever is going on. And if they do say that they are not okay and tell you something, how you respond is so important.
First be honest and even say “I’m not sure what to say right now” instead of not saying anything which can make it seem like you don’t care. You can also just say “thanks for telling me” to let them know that you appreciate the bravery they had in opening up to you. And finally, you can say “I’m haven’t experienced this but I am here to chat whenever you need to”. It allows the other person the freedom to open up the conversation if they want.
The chorus of the Jelly Roll song really ends with everything will be alright. And isn’t that how we can help others by listening and helping them know that it will be alright? Take a listen!
I know I can’t be the only one
Who’s holdin’ on for dear life
But God knows, I know
When it’s all said and done
I’m not okay
But it’s all gonna be alright
It’s not okay
But wе’re all gonna be alright
