It’s okay to feel.

It’s okay to feel tired. 

It’s okay to feel hopeless. 

It’s okay to feel angry. 

It’s okay to feel numb. 

It’s okay to feel more than one thing— even if it seems to conflict with other things you feel. 

It’s okay to FEEL. 

Why say this? Isn’t it obvious that it’s okay to feel? 

Not to many trauma survivors. 

Many trauma survivors have been shamed for feeling. 

Many trauma survivors have been told that their feelings are “the problem.” 

Many trauma survivors have been conditioned to believe their feelings are invalid— or maybe not even real at all. 

So sometimes we need the reminder: it’s okay to feel. 

It’s okay to feel bad— or good. 

It’s okay to feel things that don’t seem to make sense. 

It’s okay to feel things at a level of intensity that doesn’t seem to match the situation. 

Not only is it okay to feel— it’s also okay to express your feelings. 

That is, it’s okay to express how you feel— to people you choose, for reasons that matter to you. 

It’s also okay to NOT describe or explain your feelings to anyone you DON’T choose. 

How we relate to our feelings really, really matters. 

Our feelings reflect important pieces of who we are, what we’ve been through, and what we need. 

Our feelings deserve to be taken seriously. 

Our feelings deserve to be held compassionately and respectfully. 

Our feelings— even those feelings we’re not crazy about— deserve to exist. 

Remember: it’s okay to feel. 

And also remember: you are not your feelings.