u/Crafty_Bread_4663

I love reading, always have, but after being laid off and not reading on my commute, I stopped for a good 6 months. I look at my home library of novels next on my list and am overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Little Libraries are popular in my area, and I have picked up several whodunit thrillers, adventure novels, and horror books. I am currently reading "Cyclops" by Clive Cussler and couldn't be happier.

Don't judge anyone, nor yourself on their choice of literature. Sometimes we read to think, sometimes to emote, and sometimes to forget.

I m 17F and i know people say this age is supposed to be messy and emotional and like “youll figure it out” but this feels deeper than just normal teenage chaos. it feels like im stuck between who i am who i used to be and who everyone expects me to become and i dont fully recognize any of them anymore

i feel everything so intensely. like way too intensely. one small thing can sit in my chest all day. i overthink conversations i replay moments i read too much into tone or silence. and at the same time i feel guilty for even feeling like this because nothing is technically “wrong”

but something is wrong. i just cant explain it properly

i want connection so badly it actually hurts sometimes. like i crave being understood on a deep level but when people get close i panic or shut down or feel like they wont actually stay if they see all of me. so i end up feeling alone even when im not

and the worst part is i still smile i still joke i still act like everything is fine. i dont even know if im pretending anymore or if this is just what ive become

does anyone else feel like this? like youre full of so much emotion and meaning and thoughts but theres no safe place to put them

i dont want advice like “it gets better” even though i hope it does. i think i just want to know if im not the only one feeling this tangled

thanks for reading if you got this far 🤍

Not just need a nap tired, I mean the kind where everything feels heavy, my thoughts, my chest, even just existing. I keep showing up for everyone, smiling when I’m supposed to, saying I’m fine on autopilot, but I’m really not.

It’s like I’ve been running on empty for so long that I forgot what it feels like to be okay.

I don’t want advice right now, I think I just needed to say it somewhere without pretending.

I’m just really exhausted.

The constant softening of my opinions. The “sorry” before I even spoke. The over-explaining so no one would misunderstand me. The laughing off things that actually bothered me.

And the wild part? The world didn’t fall apart when I stopped.

I said no without a paragraph attached.

I let silence sit instead of filling it.

I didn’t rush to make someone else feel okay about my boundaries.

Some people didn’t like it. A few pulled away. But the ones who stayed? They actually see me now, not the “easygoing version” I curated.

It’s uncomfortable at first like you’re breaking some unspoken rule. But then it starts to feel… honest. And a little bit powerful.

Anyway, if you’ve been feeling exhausted from being “low maintenance,” this might be your sign that you’re allowed to take up your full space.

Has anyone else gone through this shift? What made it click for you?