When majority of us are asked by someone how we are doing, some common terms used to respond often include fine, good, or not bad. Unless someone is willing to be brutally honest and admit they’re not, in actuality, fine, most of us answer with optimistic words, and the person asking the question doesn’t think twice about the normalized response they’re likely going to receive.
I have mental health issues, and have for a while. If you’ve been following my blog in any manner, I certainly don’t keep it a secret, and while I have come to pretty decent terms with my own forms of mental illness, I’ve found myself feeling more depressed this year, specifically in the past few months, than I think I ever have. If I had to take a guess as to what could be causing this, I would wager COVID-19 and its side effects are responsible.
I’m not shy about my mental health status, and if I’m struggling, I’ll admit it. Most people are not so transparent with others when it comes to mental health, though, hence why hearing people tell you they’re fine, good or not bad may not actually be the case.
It has never been more important to check in with friends, family and loved ones and see how they are really doing. If you reach out and receive a stereotypical response regarding their wellbeing, such as fine, good or not bad, I encourage you to probe a little bit. Nothing too drastic as you don’t want to deter anyone, but try and get the person to open up a little bit in regards to how they are actually doing. It’s possible they really are well, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to check.
The next time someone asks you how you are doing, try answering entirely honestly. You might amaze yourself with the outcome.
ontheedgeofeverything 
Relatable.🙂
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