The problem with being the “strong one” is that everyone always expects you to be okay.
Strong people are the ones who are in control of difficult situations when everybody around them is falling apart. They are the ones who want to know how you feel and what they can do to help you. When times are tough, they are the ones who muster up the courage to keep fighting. On the outside, it may seem as though they are not affected by the challenges and obstacles they face; in reality, however, they too need a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on.
There are 4 reasons why strong people are not always okay.
1. They are always overwhelmed.
A strong person tends to do their best to ensure that the people they love are as happy as possible. Subsequently, they take on various tasks and projects to help them out. Moreover, they are always there when problems arise and, more often than not, they are the ones who handle them.
2. They neglect their needs.
Prioritizing the needs of others means that you forget to pay attention to your own needs. Strong people will always put the ones they love first as they want to make sure they are okay. While this behavior is indeed something that we must admire, it can also have negative effects. In other words, when you never look after your own needs, you are bound to negatively impact your emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.
3. They allow people to take advantage of them.
When everybody knows that you will put their needs and wants before your own, they will use you. Unfortunately, strong people often get burned and hurt by those who take advantage of them. This is because they refuse to say no when somebody asks for help as they believe it is their duty to lend a helping hand when it is needed.
4. They ignore their emotions.
A strong person knows that people rely on them. They know that when something bad happens, they have to be the ones who hold it together while the others fall apart. Therefore, no matter how broken they may feel inside, they know that they have to bottle it up and put on a brave face. They pretend to be happy and they act as though they never cry. While they fool everyone around them, they are secretly hurting inside.
And the worst part is that, as a result of all this, nobody will ever ask: “Are you okay?”
If you know someone who has been putting on a brave face, neglecting their needs, and prioritizing your happiness, let them know you love them. More importantly, ask them how they are.