Dear those of you making positive changes in your life but feeling super confused because you feel worse,
Change, even good change, is always painful or hard because it is a change in your identity. Habits become character which becomes your identity. So the habits you are changing will also change your identity in a good way.
When I struggled with depression, and was writing sad poems and music, I was releasing things at first, but then it became a static habit. So by changing the habit when it was no longer a needed form of release, I changed my well being too.
Also, we have a relationship with everything we do. We have a relationship with food, with sleeping, with depression etc. So breaking a bad habit and starting a good habit, even though this is a change you consciously and willing decided to make, is essentially similar to a romantic breakup with a partner. It can be traumatic! It can be hard.
So if changing aspects of your life has got you feeling down and you feel you like slipping back into your old habits, acknowledge that it is hard, know that this is normal, and keep going! You’re doing a great job :)
-Shannen Roberts
Founder of The Strange is Beautiful
