Half-Smiling

So…I’m feeling a little out of sorts lately, and I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s school. Maybe it’s something else.

I’ve been away from school for seven months, and next week, teachers return. I think I’m ready. I’ve spent the last two weeks in my classroom getting everything organized and prepared. I’ve made a ton of copies, put things where they belong, and gotten myself ahead of the game. On paper, I’m ready to go.

But I still feel unsettled.

I’m anxious. Things haven’t been going particularly well at home, and I’m feeling sad. Right now, I don’t really want to do much of anything. Part of me would rather retreat from everything for a while.

But I know I have to keep moving forward.

This is where some of those DBT skills come in. I can practice half-smiling and willing hands, even when I don’t particularly feel like smiling or being willing. Sometimes changing what I’m doing with my body can help nudge my emotions in a different direction. It’s a little like “fake it till you make it,” only with some DBT behind it.

I may feel out of sorts today, AND I can still move forward.

I can do this.