Sometimes you need to wallow

Sometimes you need to wallow. It’s uncomfortable to sit in the feeling of being unhappy, especially when you aren’t exactly sure what’s causing the unhappiness. However, it’s a necessary evil at times and something we shouldn’t demonize ourselves, or others, for doing. I sometimes find that whatever mental block is happening is easier to address and dismantle after I’ve sat in the discomfort for a while. Perhaps I throw in a little nostalgia or self-pity in the mix to really put the nail in the coffin. More than likely, I’m in my bed and the lights are off, except for maybe the lowest level of my touch-lamp or the flicker of my candle. I’ll look through old pictures from a year or two ago, wistfully thinking “God I was so happy”. I’ll be on the verge of tears and willing them to fall (they usually don’t) so I can wipe them away, get up, and get on with the evening. I say evening because my wallowing usually hits around the cursed hour of 4pm, and when the moment is over, the sun is setting (curse you winter), and I can get back to the tasks I was putting off. To reject a necessary wallow is to postpone a imminent emotional slump, and it will likely be even more ill-timed the longer you put it off. Wallow! Maybe listen to Wallows while you do it, I don’t know. When it comes to smaller moments of sadness or uneasiness, sit with the feeling, let it wash over you, and you might realize that it’s a little easier to move forward.