Earlier this week Michelle Obama mentioned that she was experiencing “low-grade depression” right now. Now, in an illuminating Instagram post, the former first lady explained a little more about where those feelings are coming from—and gave a comforting message to anyone else who (understandably) might be going through a low period these days.
On this week’s episode of the Michelle Obama Podcast, Obama spoke with her friend and journalist Michele Norris about how it’s been living through quarantine and the recent protests against police brutality. During their conversation, Obama mentioned that she had been dealing with emotional “highs and lows” over the past few weeks and months.
“I’m waking up in the middle of the night because I’m worrying about something or there’s a heaviness,” she said during the episode. “I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression,” she continued. “Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting.” So she’s allowed herself to take breaks from her routine when necessary, she explains, but finds that, for the most part, staying in that routine—including regularly exercising, keeping regular meal times, and spending time outside—helps her feel okay.
After the podcast went live, Obama says a lot of people reached out to check on her. “I just wanted to check in with you all because a lot of you have been checking in on me after hearing this week’s podcast,” she wrote on Instagram. “First things first—I’m doing just fine. There’s no reason to worry about me.”
She also clarified that, in speaking about her mental health, she was “thinking about the folks out there risking themselves for the rest of us—the doctors and nurses and essential workers of all kinds,” she explained. “I’m thinking about the teachers and students and parents who are just trying to figure out school for the fall. I’m thinking about the people out there protesting and organizing for a little more justice in our country.”
Considering the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing fight for racial justice in the U.S., it’s understandable that people in this country—especially Black people—may be mentally struggling right now. “The idea that what this country is going through shouldn’t have any effect on us—that we all should just feel OK all the time—that just doesn’t feel real to me,” Obama wrote.
Her advice? First off, she writes, “I hope you all are allowing yourselves to feel whatever it is you’re feeling. I hope you’re listening to yourselves and taking a moment to reflect on everything that’s coming at us, and what you might be able to do about it.”
Finally, she thanked those who reached out to her—and implored them to also reach out to those they’re closest with “not just with a text, but maybe with a call or a video chat. Don’t be afraid to offer them a shoulder to lean on, or to ask for one yourself.”
There really aren’t any rules when it comes to feelings these days, SELF wrote previously. If you’re a Black person in the U.S. right now, you might experience anger, grief, exhaustion, anxiety, or something completely different. The important thing is to acknowledge that feeling, allow yourself to actually feel it, and know that it’s a valid response.
Remember that, if you need to, it’s okay to take a break from work or the constant information overload on social media. It’s also okay to tap into the mental health community or to reach out to a professional therapist for help coping right now (or really, any time). As Obama mentioned on her podcast, these are uniquely trying times, and you deserve to get whatever help you need to make it through.