Obviously, anxiety has increased in all of us during the pandemic. Isolation, limited things to do, and virtual adaptations to work have stressed us out. I take medication for anxiety, and I’ll admit that I had to go up on my dose a couple of times. Mental health is a very important subject that cannot be looked over but often is. It’s serious and too relevant to just push to the side. Mental health issues show physically as well. It has an impact on our bodies. Grief has made a mark on my body during this past year. Most of the time can tell when someone isn’t okay, so you should always help when you do notice it. Many people have lost loved ones due to the virus, and other health issues as well. Suicide and domestic abuse rates have sadly increased during the pandemic. Your friend might need help, and maybe your sibling too. Talk to your mom or dad, because they have feelings too… they may need your help. We all do.

So many people have lost loved ones over the past year, but in general, losing someone close to you is horrible, even if there isn’t a pandemic. It weighs on the heart and stresses out the mind. It takes an emotional toll on us all and is hard to heal, but the heart will eventually mend itself back together. 

Our bodies act erratic under stressful conditions and do things that we cannot explain. They bring out genetic medical conditions or develop them on their own. Recently I found out that I inherited alopecia areata, from my dad. It’s a process that begins after severe stress, where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. The reason for this is still unknown, and there is no cure. But, there is a treatment for alopecia that will slow the spread, and speed up the hair growth process. I have started treatment and I’m trying to bring my stress levels down, but sometimes it’s hard to do. We stress ourselves to the max without realizing what it is doing to our bodies. 

Medications can be a big help, but they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I, personally, find them helpful in my everyday life. I take three in the morning, and one at night. That may seem a little extreme, but it is what helps me. A lot of people have developed anxiety, depression, and other conditions due to genetics, trauma, and the environment we live in today. It’s heartbreaking to see so many people in this situation. If you feel like you need help, but you are afraid to ask for it, that’s okay. If you don’t like therapists or psychiatrists, that’s okay too. Everyone will have a different method of receiving help. But, help is something you definitely should not overlook if you feel like you need it. 

I lost four people and my dog in the past year and a half. Only one was due to COVID-19. It’s strange to go through this when all my life, I never really lost anyone… It definitely has an effect on the body, not just the mind. I find myself exceptionally more tired nowadays, or in a jetlag sort of state. Days feel slow and fast at the same time, and every day I feel as though I’m waking up to the same day, the same routine, and yada yada. It’s exhausting, I tell you. I don’t think I would wish these feelings upon anyone because I sure do hate it myself. 

A lot of people think working from home sounds easy, or fun. It’s not. Sometimes you get overlooked by teachers or an employer, or you don’t get the same benefits as the rest of your peers. The stress of virtual learning or working from home is horrendous. It can be unhealthy, for sure. Sometimes WiFi goes down at home, and you can’t submit assignments on time. It’s difficult to receive help from your friends, and you don’t have any social interaction to keep you sane. It definitely has played a part in the stress of many people this year. Some people blow the stress off and say it’s not a big deal, but it truly is. Please, open your eyes and see the issue at hand. 

If you read this and you relate to it, I hope you start feeling better soon. If you notice that a friend has gone through this, help them out when you can. If you are going through it, help yourself out when you can. Find a method of meditation for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a sit-in-silence-for-an-hour type of meditation. Listening to music and playing video games is my meditation. I also have a certain thing I like to do in the summer. At night, when it rains, I like to sit in my hammock on the back porch, with a fan on, and listen to The Marías. It’s so refreshing! I absolutely love it. Or if it’s daytime and it rains, I go sit in the hammock and read on my phone while listening to Def Leppard. I don’t know what it is that makes it so amazing, but it always makes me happy. Find your own meditation method, or try mine! Let’s try and bring the stress down a tad, relax, enjoy yourself, and live life, because we shouldn’t spend it in a stressful manner.