I See You 🌸🦋

hi everyone! ♡

if we haven't met before, hi! i'm Lex. i'm a listener here on 7 Cups, and one of my favorite things about being here is getting to meet people from all different walks of life and being someone they can talk to when things feel a little too heavy.

i've always wanted my listening space to feel like a place where you don't have to put on a happy face. you don't have to make your feelings sound pretty or explain them perfectly. you can ramble, cry, be confused, be angry, or be completely unsure of what you're feeling — and that's okay.

sometimes we don't need someone to immediately fix everything. sometimes we just need someone to sit with us and say, "yeah... i can see why that hurts." 🤍

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🧠 mental health can take more than people realize

i think mental health is one of those things that's so much bigger than people realize.

sometimes we talk about mental health as though it's just feeling sad or having a bad day, but for so many people, it's something that follows them into almost every part of their life.

it can affect the way you wake up in the morning. the way you talk to yourself. the way you see yourself. the way you interact with people you love. the things you enjoy. the things you're able to do. the things you dream about.

and sometimes, it takes things from us so quietly that we don't even notice at first.

maybe you stopped doing something you used to love because you just don't have the energy anymore. maybe you stopped reaching out to people because talking feels exhausting. maybe you became quieter. maybe you're not as spontaneous as you used to be. maybe you don't laugh as much.

maybe getting through the day has become your biggest accomplishment.

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🌙 and sometimes... we grieve those things

i think there can be a really strange kind of grief that comes with missing a version of yourself that feels so far away.

you might look at old pictures or remember old memories and think, "i want to feel like that again."

you might miss how excited you used to get about little things. you might miss having plans and actually looking forward to them. you might miss the friendships you had before your mental health became difficult.

you might even grieve opportunities you couldn't take because you simply weren't okay enough at the time.

and sometimes nobody else realizes you're grieving any of that.

because from the outside, you might still look completely fine.

you might still go to work. you might still go to school. you might still make people laugh. you might still answer "i'm good!" when someone asks how you're doing.

but nobody sees the amount of effort it took to get there.

they don't see the mornings where getting out of bed felt impossible. they don't see the thoughts you replay in your head. they don't see the exhaustion after pretending to be okay all day. they don't see how hard you're trying to keep everything together.

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🫂 if you're struggling right now...

i hope you can be gentle with yourself.

you haven't failed because you're struggling.

you aren't lazy because you don't have the energy you used to.

you aren't a burden because you need support.

and you don't have to constantly prove that you're struggling enough to deserve kindness.

sometimes surviving the day is enough.

sometimes taking a shower is enough.

sometimes replying to one message is enough.

sometimes simply staying here and getting through another day is enough.

you are still you, even underneath all the things you've been carrying. 🌷

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💭 so here's my question for you...

What has your mental health taken from you that people don't realize?

maybe it's something really big.

maybe it's something that seems small to everyone else but has actually affected you deeply.

maybe it's a hobby you stopped doing, a friendship you lost, a part of your personality that feels different, confidence you don't have anymore, experiences you feel like you missed, or simply the ability to enjoy life in the way you used to.

whatever it is, i'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

and if you're comfortable, maybe we can remind each other that we're not the only ones who have lost pieces of ourselves along the way. 🤍

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💌 a little reminder

and please remember that my PMs are always open if you ever need someone to talk to.

you don't need to have a big reason, and you don't need to know what to say.

you can literally just send me:

"hey, i could use someone right now."

and that's enough. 🫂

take care of yourselves, friends. drink some water, take a breath, give yourself a little kindness, and remember that you don't have to have everything figured out today.

one day at a time.
one breath at a time.
one little step at a time. 🌙🤍

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you deserve the same gentleness you give everyone else. ♡

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