There are just some of those days when “overwhelming” doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel.

Especially on weeks like this one where we just got back from Thanksgiving/Fall Break!

The workload feels too heavy, the students seem to have lost their minds, the expectations put onto us by our boss seem impossible, our teammate down the hall is grating on our last nerves.

Or even outside of school things are too much. Maybe you’re fighting with a loved one, struggling to make everything work financially, losing sleep over your worries, or having a hard time because of the holiday season and bad memories/emotions it pulls up.

What is important to remember is that even in the midst of our struggles we don’t have to be alone. When our world feels like it’s beginning to crumble we often think no one would understand. But we’re wrong.

We all deal with pain, heartache, stress.

The holidays see the biggest uptake in suicides, self-harm, and withdrawing from others.

Today maybe you just need someone to tell you that you can do this thing called life.  That you have people who love you even when you feel alone. That you have lives you’ve changed even when you feel worthless. That you are no alone. You are not a failure. You are more.

When I’m in my darkest moments, that’s when I find a way to pour into someone else. It helps me find my center again. I write a few kind emails/texts/messages.  I mail a few cards. I call a friend just to tell them I was thinking of them. I serve at a shelter. Donate to an organization.

Research shows that when you show gratitude to others it increases YOUR mood more than it does the person you’re showing gratitude to.

Today, if nothing else, know that you are noticed and appreciated. Even if no one around you will tell you. I’m telling you now.