I don’t normally write about anything sensible, and certainly nothing to do with feelings or emotions, but 2020 has been bonkers so I think it’s OK to go off script a little.

One of the reasons I don’t talk much about feelings and emotions is because I’m not very good at it, I struggle to articulate what I mean and usually say the wrong thing or end up offending someone, so bear with me here.

Recently however, I was feeling really low, I was having a few bad days. Lockdown was taking its toll on me, life wasn’t normal and I hadn’t seen friends or family properly for months. I was just fed up and sad about it all. And then on top of all that, I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I’ve still got a good job, so has my partner, we’ve got a house, with a garden, a dog, lovely walks near us, our health and so far none of our loved ones had been ill. And I still felt low and then I felt guilty. Because I knew a lot of people had it worse, much much worse and I felt guilty for feeling bad about my lot, which on the face of it is a pretty sweet deal. Then I got to thinking that I wouldn’t stop myself being happy because someone had it better than me. I wouldn’t not be happy on holiday because we were only in a 4 star hotel when we could have been in a 5 star hotel. I wouldn’t stop myself being happy having dinner out with friends because there were other restaurants available with more Michelin stars. So actually, it was ok to feel low and sad for a couple of days because even if you’ve got everything, life can still be tough.

So I think I’m saying don’t delegitimise your feelings, because whatever you’re feeling is valid. Someone will always have it better, and someone will always have it worse, it doesn’t mean that what you’re feeling about your lot isn’t appropriate. Because it is.