Sometimes stress in your body isn’t just about what’s happening today. It can be about hidden hurt.
Hurt that got pushed down because nobody saw it.
Hurt that was brushed aside because someone told you, “You should be over this by now.”
Hurt you told yourself didn’t matter, even when it did.

If you’ve been told, or told yourself, “Don’t be silly,” or “There’s something wrong with me for feeling this way,” you’re not alone. Those messages can get stuck deep inside us. When they’re left unspoken, they don’t disappear. They travel with us into the present, colouring how we see the world and how our bodies feel.

Like a Sunflower in the Field

Think of a sunflower standing tall in a wide field.
Every sunflower has weathered storms, wind, and days without enough light, yet it still turns toward the sun. It doesn’t rush its growth. It doesn’t compare itself to the one beside it. It simply takes the time it needs to reach upward.

You deserve that same patience with yourself. Healing, like a sunflower’s growth, is not about speed. It’s about steady, gentle care.

Why Acknowledging Hurt Matters

We all have human needs:

• To have our pain validated by ourselves, if no one else does
• To let our emotions move through us instead of shutting them down
• To take the time we need to heal without a stopwatch on our hearts
• To accept that hurt is normal, and when we allow ourselves to feel it, it passes

When we keep hurt locked away, it shows up in unexpected ways. Snapping over something small, feeling sick all the time, even skin conditions or body aches. These aren’t just “in your head.” They’re your body trying to process what never got released.

How to Start Processing Your Hurt

You don’t have to wait for someone else to notice your pain. You can begin to honour it today:

1. Write it down. Pick a time you felt hurt. Get honest. Let the words spill out.
2. Validate yourself. Say, “I felt this. I honour how I felt.”
3. Notice your self-talk. Are you the one silencing your own feelings? Ask where you learned that. It’s just an old coping skill, not a life sentence.
4. Let it out in private. Watch a sad movie, play a song that makes you cry. Give your body permission to feel.
5. Talk to someone you trust. It’s not weakness, it’s human connection.

Why This Matters

• Releases stress your body has been holding
• Reduces that heavy “overwhelm” feeling
• Calms anxiety
• Reminds you that you are enough, just as you are

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If you’re looking for help or someone to talk to, you can call 211 to find local support programs in your community. There’s no shame in needing help. It’s one of the bravest things you can do for yourself.