Honestly, Marie

Wow. Where do I begin?

Last week’s post gained more traction than I ever imagined! I can’t thank you guys enough. The support has been amazing. I am so positively overwhelmed.

Last week’s post not only attracted traffic and engagement, it made me realise something:

We are not opening to our loved ones enough.

I am so sorry, guys. I really wanted to go a different route with this week’s post but I really feel like we need to address this. We are keeping too much in and it is truly affecting our mental health.

‘ I feel seen’

One of my closest friend’s text to me when she read last week’s post was that she felt seen. This lead to a conversation that we have never had.

Mind you, we talk about EVERYTHING! But this was something we never touched.

The older I get, the more I realise that a lot of people are walking around carrying things that nobody knows about.

Stress.

Disappointment.

Loneliness.

Grief.

Pressure.

Fear.

And somehow, many of us convince ourselves that we’re supposed to carry it all alone.

Not because we want to.

But because we don’t want to burden anyone else.

silence has a cost

I think we underestimate how heavy silence can get.

We tell ourselves we’re “fine” for so long that eventually, we start believing it just means pushing through no matter what. We get used to handling everything internally. We get used to smiling while things feel heavy.

But I don’t think we’re meant to do everything alone.

Guys, this is actually so bad.

Even the strongest people need somewhere to put their thoughts down.

Confiding in someone matters more than we think

I know it’s not always easy to open up.

Sometimes you don’t even know how to explain what you’re feeling. Sometimes you worry you’ll be misunderstood. Sometimes you don’t want to change how people see you.

But even then… having at least one person you can be honest with can make a huge difference.

One person you don’t have to pretend with.
One person you don’t have to “be okay” around.
One person who can just listen.

That alone can lighten things more than we realise.

My next sentence will invoke some feelings for certain people- I apologies in advance. Please understand that this is about me and this is something that I have only recently realised.

Back to the topic at hand…..

Unfortunately, I haven’t met the person that I feel comfortable opening up to completely and I think this is why I I keep everything in.

And no, a man is not going to change that so don’t even come here with that!

…..Anyways…

there are other options

I want to say this gently, because I think it’s important.

Not everyone has someone they feel comfortable opening up to straight away. And that’s okay.

This is where support outside of your immediate circle can really matter.

Counselling and therapy are not just for “serious” situations. They are for when things feel heavy, confusing, or overwhelming, even if you can still function day to day.

In Australia, if you see a GP and get a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you can access up to 10 Medicare subsidised psychology sessions per year. That support exists for a reason because mental health is part of health.

If you don’t take anything else from this post, please take this:

Seeking professional help doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means you’re taking yourself seriously!

You don’t have to wait until it gets worse

I think a lot of us wait until we’re at breaking point before we speak up.

But you don’t have to get there first.

You don’t have to justify your feelings.

You don’t have to reach a certain level of “bad enough” to deserve support.

You’re allowed to talk when things are still forming, not just when they’ve already fallen apart.

Final thoughts

If anything, last week’s post taught me that people are carrying more than they show.

And I just want to say this as clearly as I can:

You are not a burden for having emotions.
You are not a burden for needing support.
You are not a burden for not having everything figured out.

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is tell someone the truth about how you’re actually feeling.

Even if your voice shakes a little when you say it.

Like I said, this blog is like a digital diary to myself. Just know everything I write is a reminder to myself and that is no different to this post. I am learning to open up more too.

In therapy!!

That’s it for the week.

As always, don’t forget to like and share the post and leave a comments.

Tell me: what’s your biggest struggle is when it comes to opening up.