Written by Reena Amon

She hopped on Instagram after an 8-5 shift, mindlessly scrolling and giving in to the addictive algorithm. Stories filled with photos of a batch of fresh laundry, bank visits, and steering wheels on the way to the supermarket. She figured who wouldn’t enjoy that sense of independence and liberation – and accompanying that with the hashtag “#adulting”.

Youtube was next. First on her home page was titled 5 Year Old Talks About Feelings and Emotion!. After watching the adorable little being, she was astonished at how eloquent he was in voicing out what he felt and how he would address these emotions. That was one thing she could not see herself doing… Was she, a full grown “adult”, comparing herself to a child? Welp, that was one thing she did not learn in school: emotional hygiene.

She was taught how to pay her taxes and show up for work because that’s what adults do, right? Or how it was already second nature to place a band-aid over a nasty scratch or wash your hands after dealing with dirt. But what was the next step whenever she found herself lost in the grey area of her mind with no thoughts, head empty? She knew there were scientifically proven methods of tuning in to herself, but how come it was all blurry to her? While a formal education packed her brain with equations and theories, she had to rely on community forums and inspirational Instagram art to get a hold of overwhelming emotions.

Venture into investments, they said. Check your email daily, they added. Fill up each minute of your day or you’d drown in responsibilities, they warned. She was a grown woman now and days would pass by with different roles and responsibilities piled on her. Yet she couldn’t let go just yet of that 5-year-old showing the emotional maturity she wished she had.

She picked up her dusty journal and started writing; it felt as if time was on pause as she allowed herself to escape the adult world even just for a while. She rekindled the romance she shared with pen and paper which faded as her days filled with deadlines. She wrote,

It’s crazy how much adults set themselves up for pain yet do not know how to deal with it. Can you blame us though? Growing up, emotions were pushed aside and labeled secondary after glistening grades and hourglass figures. When we see eye to eye with our feelings, we choose to disconnect; allowing ruminating to push away resiliency. We think we’re too busy or all-knowing to acknowledge any emotion; which becomes the beginning of days turning into a mere collection of seconds rather than opportunities for the heart.

Remember, love: Set time for your soul, you have the power to treat it with the purest love and honesty.

She wasn’t early nor late in welcoming the new-found mental strength that has always been with her.

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A sense of emotional maturity comes at any age and stage! For a much more professional and brief introduction on emotional hygiene:

How to Practice Emotional Hygiene – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rni41c9iq54