#hngk

Like I've had a particularly bad week Horrors wise, the anxiety is literally crushing my chest, and so I couldn't make myself go to college and have like, y'know, as much social interaction as I normally would with friends and stuff.

But the interactions I did have were with the food deliverymen and the retail workers at IKEA and I know it's like a three second interaction at most but when they smiled at me after answering my question or they had a kind voice or they just exchanged a few casual words it fucking MADE my day.

I've seen people talk about how important those less intense interactions with strangers are for mental health and stuff but I really really felt it this week.

Just, man. I've had a lot of lovely and chaotic interactions with retail workers before and those are fun stories for another time but just, even those casual smiles or a gentle tone when helping out, it means so much. And maybe sometimes it's for the job, but even then, it still heals me, just a bit.

And it must be really difficult when so many customers are shitty and the pay is next to nothing and you're treated so poorly, and I wouldn't blame every single retail worker for being extremely on edge and disillusioned, but somehow, sometimes, you manage to find it in you to have a gentle voice and a genuine smile or laugh and just know how grateful I am for y'all. It's like crawling out of my mind expecting the world to be hell but then someone is unexpectedly kind and it's so healing.