When you’re worried, stressed or having a “Not Very Okay At All” day, Dr. Hallowell recommends you “Never Worry Alone.” On those days when you’re not feeling quite right, remember his advice and find your “Piglet” (read passage below) to share how you’re feeling.
“Piglet?” said Pooh.
“Yes Pooh?” said Piglet.
“Do you ever have days when everything feels… Not Very Okay At All?
And sometimes you don’t even know why you feel Not Very Okay At All, you just know that you do.”
Piglet nodded his head sagely. “Oh yes,” said Piglet. “I definitely have those days.”
“Really?” said Pooh in surprise. “I would never have thought that. You always seem so happy and like you have got everything in life all sorted out.”
“Ah,” said Piglet. “Well here’s the thing. There are two things that you need to know, Pooh. The first thing is that even those pigs, and bears, and people, who seem to have got everything in life all sorted out… they probably haven’t. Actually, everyone has days when they feel Not Very Okay At All. Some people are just better at hiding it than others.
“And the second thing you need to know… is that it’s okay to feel Not Very Okay At All. It can be quite normal, in fact. And all you need to do, on those days when you feel Not Very Okay At All, is come and find me, and tell me. Don’t ever feel like you have to hide the fact you’re feeling Not Very Okay At All. Always come and tell me. Because I will always be there.”
So whenever you’re having a “Not Very Okay” day, remember Piglet’s message and Dr. Hallowell’s advice:
- “Never Worry Alone“
- Connect
- Reach out
- Commiserate
- Brainstorm
- Hug
- Eat together.
Do whatever you want; just don’t let yourself get cut off from others. Depression, stress or toxic worry cause their greatest damage to people who feel isolated.
The Other Vitamin C
The human connection is like an essential vitamin. I call it the other vitamin C; this is vitamin connect. It fortifies us and gives us courage. Sometimes people don’t reach out because they think no one can help. Or they feel that no one knows the problem well enough to offer suggestions that the worrier hasn’t already thought of.
But the point of reaching out is not just to get solutions. Even more important, it is to get a feeling, the feeling of support. So reach out even when you know the person you are reaching out to will have no idea of how to solve your problem.
Resources to combat a “Not Having A Very Okay” Day
Watch Dr. Hallowell’s YouTube video to learn more about The Power of Vitamin Connect.
If you’re suffering from depression, anxiety or stress and need help, The Hallowell Centers employ a “strength-based” approach to treating ADHD and other cognitive and emotional conditions. Whether you’re dealing with bi-polar disorder, ADHD, depression or another condition, Dr. Hallowell’s strength-based model emphasizes first and foremost the search for what is good and strong and healthy in a person, then secondarily what is in need of remediation.
Listen to Dr. Hallowell’s podcast on “Give Yourself An Instant Mood Lift.”
Read Dr. Hallowell’s lucid and reassuring book on Worry. He discusses all types of worry, explores their underlying causes, and considers the best strategies for coping.
