I don't feel ok.

Hi @Ranger,

I really appreciate you sharing this. It sounds like you've been carrying a lot for a long time, and it makes sense that it's all feeling heavy right now. Sometimes, when we keep pushing through without really knowing what makes us feel good, things can start to feel empty or just like going through the motions.

You don’t have to have all the answers right now, and you definitely don’t have to figure it out alone. Even though you don’t feel safe discussing this with people around you, I hope you know that you deserve support. Whether it’s a counselor, a helpline, or even just a space like this where you can talk things through, you don’t have to keep holding this all on your own.

I think a helpful step forward would be exploring the contacts provided by @Astra-RO. In particular, the Kids Helpline and Beyond Blue organisations as they operate 24/7. 

Wishing you the very best moving forward. 💙

Hello @Ranger,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here on the online community. This sounds like a really weird and new feeling that seems to be troubling you and I hope I can help in whatever way. It sounds challenging that you're thinking about how you feel inside about happiness and what you do to keep going.

I can relate in some way, because I too have all of a sudden got this weird anxiety without knowing where it came from. I think it's important to think about all the things that are worrying you and compare the things that are making you feel good, and hopefully that'll help you narrow down how to solve this feeling, which you've mentioned you've got a couple of ideas and that's good. I can't assume to know how you are feeling but maybe it's just a lot of stress or anxiety that might have built up, and I see this feeling is hard on you, as it's sad to hear about you crying.

To help with this, if you can, take some time outside or do something you enjoy. Disconnecting from your eventful life for a little moment is super important to prioritise some self care and look after yourself. I know this is cliché, but try some heavy breathing for just one minute. I think it's worth trying as it helped me when I had similar feelings as you did. I just breathed really deep and heavy and I was able to find out what was stressing me. I hope that giving yourself some time to think and relax will help you identify what makes you happy and find more entertainment by having some you time.

Thanks for sharing how you are feeling and I hope the help from myself and the others who replied can be great step to feeling much better! Feel free post again on how you are feeling in the future.

Hello.

@Gemz @Mindful_Dreamer @Astra-RO 

I honestly don't know what to say. I have never read something like this before. It feels like you care, in some ways alot more than the people I know, and I really appreciate that.

With reference to what you said, @Mindful_Dreamer , I do have a journal. I don't use it much, but when I'm feeling particularly intese emotions, I guess you could say, I write it down. I don't usually show any agressive or annoyed feelings to other people, so when I do feel things like that, like I said, writing it down tended to help. But I'm just not sure that it will help now, since I don't really know exactly why I feel like this.

@Astra-RO , I understand where your coming from, but professional help is something I will avoid, but I appreciate the concern.

@Gemz , I know it's ok for me to not have things figured out, even though others might seem to, but I guess its more so that everything seems to lack a common goal, or direction, if that makes sense. And, I think your right, I am self-aware when I am in a 'logical' mind set, and if I'm being brutally honest with myself, I think the most pressure I get, is placed there by me. 

I guess it also includes others, and how they seem to have solid opinions and views, ideas of happiness and hobbies. I know I shouldn't be comparing, but I just feel like a blank slate, almost. 

It's just a mixture of everything, I suppose. 

Once again, thank you all.

You have no idea how much this means to me. 

Hey, I’m really glad you reached out. First off, I want you to know that it’s completely okay to feel the way you're feeling. It sounds like you’ve been carrying a lot without being able to really share it, and that’s a heavy weight to carry on your own.

It’s tough when you feel disconnected from what makes you happy, or when everything starts feeling like just a way to fill time. I hear you on that. It can feel isolating, especially when it seems like everyone around you knows exactly what they're doing or what they want, while you're just trying to keep going without a clear sense of purpose. But it’s okay to not have everything figured out. Seriously, you don’t have to have it all together right now.

The tears you shed are probably your mind and body telling you that something's been building up, and it’s okay to release it. Sometimes, we don’t even know why we’re crying, but it’s just your way of expressing what’s been going on internally. And crying doesn’t make you weak—it’s human, and it’s a way to process things, even if you can’t pinpoint the exact cause.

You mentioned that small pressures have been building up over time. I wonder if it's because you've been holding things in for so long, and your body just reached a point where it needed to let some of it out. The fact that you're questioning things shows that you're self-aware, which is huge. It means you're starting to reflect, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.

If you’re not feeling comfortable talking to your friends or family about it, that’s okay. Sometimes, it’s hard to open up to people we’re close to, and that’s a perfectly valid choice. But reaching out to someone else, like me right now, can help you process these emotions without feeling judged or misunderstood.

If you want, we can talk more about what might be causing these feelings, or just sit with them together for a while. Maybe there’s something small you can do today to make yourself feel a little lighter—something gentle, like taking a walk, journaling, or even listening to a song that resonates with how you feel. Baby steps, right?

We are here for you, so take your time, and let’s work through this at your own pace.😊

Hey @Ranger 

Thank you for sharing your feelings with the community, it takes a lot to open up about feelings of sadness and we all really appreciate you for reaching out.

I can relate to feeling sadness without a specific reason or apparent reason. Sometimes it can be built up over time, from a range of different experiences and maybe that's why it's hard to pinpoint exactly where it stems from. Feelings are complicated so give yourself the space and time and know it is completely normal to feel sad. I am in my early 20s and I have come a long way with finding what I like, what makes me happy, what I enjoy doing and to be honest to this day I do feel a little lost at times, that is also completely normal and it's part of the journey as much as it is uncomfortable going through such times. You don't have to have it all figured out or know the exact answer, you can explore different things and when people ask you, you can say something like "I am just going with the flow and seeing how I feel" or "this is what I enjoy doing at the moment". At the end of the day, we are humans and we are all at different stages in life and that is so fine. I know this all sounds so cliche but I can truly understand where you are coming from, I have changed paths so many times and I am only 21 so don't feel bad about yourself. 

I also find that journaling or writing my feelings down helps me to unpack what is going on more deeply. When I was trying to figure out what I enjoyed and just more about myself, I would journal down my likes and dislikes and that can be anything from school subjects to activities to music to my values and remember these can all change in a few years, so don't put too much pressure on you but I would suggest you give this exercise a go and see how you feel afterwards. Let me know if you try it 😊

We are here to support you and help you along the journey, so let me know if this helped or if there is anything specific I can give my thoughts on. Sending you much love. 💜

Hey @Ranger firstly welcome to the community and thanks for sharing how you've been feeling. It sounds like you haven't ever really reached out like this before so I want to acknowledge your bravery in doing so. 

I can hear that you're struggling to find joy and meaning in things like others seem to do and things have been building up over the past couple years. It sounds like things got very overwhelming yesterday when you started crying 😞 We're here to listen if you did want to share any more about what was happening for you

In terms of what you can do, there are lots of things you can try. Would you want to try seeking professional support? If so, you might like to check out this article on getting affordable professional help . A good starting place can be booking an appointment to see your GP. Or you could even chat with a peer worker on PeerChat, or a counsellor through Kids Helpline or Beyond Blue

You could also try some self-help strategies and might like to check out this article on coping with the hard stuff