How To Know If Someone Is Not Okay

By: Nicole Eve and Maegy

"How are you?"
"Are you okay?"

Most of the time, people would lie to cover up their feelings for several reasons—they do not want to bother others; they feel that it will not change anything.

In this sense, it is quite tricky to know if someone is okay or not. How are you supposed to know if a person is not all right? 

We have a list here that might help you:

Lack of enthusiasm: A person who is struggling emotionally can lose their interest in the things they love. That is why, when you observe and see that your friend is experiencing this, never tell them, "What happened to you?" or any words that can make them feel that they are not on the right path or the place they used to be. Instead, try to lift them without invalidating their feelings. 

Appetite Shifts: Any drastic shift in appetite can signify someone's mood or feelings. A person who is stressed or feeling sad tends to not feel hungry while others may overeat to cope with stressful situations. To point this “change” out could cause someone to feel furious, guilty, or embarrassed so it is best to approach it by not directly commenting on any change to their weight or eating patterns. Instead, ask them a genuine “How are you doing?” to open up a conversation on possible problems that this person carries. 

Difficulty in concentrating: This may emerge from different distractions that can affect an individual’s mental state. Emotional stress can trouble you that it will eventually lead to an unfocused mind. 

Rapid mood swings: Mood shifts are normal, but at some point it can be an indicator that someone is not okay. There are a lot of reasons that an individual suddenly changes their mood; one reason is that he/she must have had a rough day and he/she started overthinking about it.  If someone is having mood swings, it can actually be disruptive and disturbing to this person, perhaps they will get irritated more often. Hence, the best way to help them is to be more patient and understanding.