Most people don’t look “broken” when they’re struggling.
They look productive.
They show up to work.
They reply to messages.
They post motivational quotes.
They keep smiling in pictures.

They’re the ones people come to for help, advice, prayer requests.

And yet, they are quietly… unraveling.

That was me — for years.
I was functioning. Leading. Caring. Healing others.
But inside, I was carrying exhaustion that sleep couldn’t fix.
Grief I never gave myself permission to process.
Guilt for even needing space to feel.

Mental health isn’t always about breakdowns.
Sometimes it’s about the slow erosion of self, under the weight of “being strong.”

Especially as a woman. Especially in cultures where silence is praised. Where we are taught to perform stability. To endure.

But healing begins where honesty begins.

So here’s mine:
I got tired of being “fine.”
I got tired of editing myself to stay palatable.
I got tired of offering compassion I never gave to myself.

I had to unlearn survival.
I had to start treating my mental health like it mattered as much as my dreams.
Because it does.

And if you’re reading this, maybe it’s time you stop functioning and start feeling too.

You don’t have to fall apart to be worthy of rest.
You don’t have to earn peace through pain.

Sometimes the bravest thing you’ll ever do is stop pretending.

🧠✨