How are you feeling?… It is okay not to feel okay!
“I feel sick, I am not feeling good, I just want to lay down and sleep…
I am sad and angry, I need to cry and scream…
I feel deliriously happy, I am in love…”
These are several feelings we encounter in life, and this is how we normally react when we face these feelings; they can be expressed both verbally and nonverbally, and sometimes, the way we respond to our emotions can seems rather spontaneous. For this reason, we may later start to regret the way we reacted, allowing our self-esteem and behaviour to be affected.

Image by Laura Alzmeter
It is normal for feelings to change, and they can change in intensity. Probably all of us started to share many emotions during our adolescence; we were a bit moody for a while: happy one day and sad the next.
If you’ve got a promotion at work, or you’ve been appreciated for your projects at the university, everyone can see your smiles.
When you’re in love with someone, everyone can see how your eyes are glowing each time you hear their name, how you feel excited every time you see them, and how you run to hug them.
You can easily express your feelings, and you most certainly cannot hide them when you’re in a good mood; the whole world can feel your happiness and your positive vibes.
Everyone can see your deepened eyes and your lethargy when you’re sick because of a cold or a migraine pain.
And when you’re angry because of the annoying tasks your boss assigned you at work, everyone can feel your temper.
If you have a deadline to submit your project or you have failed an exam, everyone can feel your stressed vibes.
And the hardest time is when you lose a dear friend, a family member, or a partner, whether through death or due to changed pathways, every happy moment you had with this person disappears and everyone can see you heartbroken.
“Today I choose to be sad, my heart is broken; I feel heartache, I feel shortened breath, my legs cannot hold me and my body hurts, I choose to go to bed and sleep, but here I am thinking of what makes me feel sad. I lost a dear person. I was really happy having him around me and spending quality time with him; I didn’t want to step back but sometimes to hold on causes more damage than to let go.”
Such thoughts and feelings are common among people; in life, everything seems okay for a moment, until suddenly, something happens and this is normal, life is full of ups and downs.
Often, the feeling of sadness kills the positive energy that a person has, and they may see themselves in a closed circle where they cannot escape. In times of such sadness, it seems hard to stand quickly and it takes time to heal; when you lose a dear friend or a family member, you begin to grieve because you are sad or even heartbroken.
Sometimes, you may choose to run away from your feelings by going to bed to sleep, then you find yourself thinking about the situation annoying you, the next day, you wake up with a bigger pain, you feel stressed or maybe angry, and you have no clue what to do.
Speaking from personal experience, this doesn’t change the fact that you are sad, hurt and heartbroken, and running away from these feelings is not going to help you; so don’t ignore your feelings. Perhaps, you should STOP for a moment, TAKE a deep BREATH, and THINK in order to understand your feelings and ACT responsibly. (see also our previous article for some helpful tips)
But what is the right way to perceive your feelings and cope with these emotions?
To be continued… in our next month’s article!
Author:
Laura Alzmeter
Article Writer & Content Creator
- February 21, 2022

Share this article:
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed in this article/publication are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of GiLE or its members.
Read more articles:

Authentic Assessment and Student Employability
Authentic assessment is a way of testing your skills and knowledge in a real-world context, which can help you achieve your goals.

Partnering with DOSZ
The GiLE Foundation is partnering with DOSZ and is empowering the next generation of early-career researchers.

Sustainable Development and Skills for the Green Transition
Our recent event discussed the EU’s funding instruments and their role in transitioning to a more sustainable economy.

Lifelong learning? About 365 days a year!
Learning is a never-ending process: many chances are given day to day to grow and be better version of ourselves – so just seize the day!

TOP 10 books to start your reading career with
Books are magical gateways to whole new universes if we get to know them closely – but how and where to start?

Reading to the mind = Exercise to the body?
Have you heard that reading and books are vital tools not only in information exchange but also in our character development?!
One Response