Here’s the thing: I think I have anxiety. Here’s another thing: I think I’ve had it my whole life, but never knew it had a name.
Seems like almost everyone has anxiety or panic attacks, and while I don’t get them, I can empathise. Recalling the past, especially during my schooling days, there were always times when I’d go, “OMG HOW AH?! OMG AHHHH!” to friends to the point where they’d get sick of me and avoid me till I calmed down. I don’t blame them one bit – I was making them anxious as well!
I’ve long ago accepted this part of me and honestly I find anxiety a pretty normal thing. Growing up in an environment where you’re constantly reminded that you “have no time left” (till date, I still don’t think I know what that was supposed to mean), dealing with deadlines, exams and tests every other week year after year from 13 years old till you graduate from college/university and where results were everything, you can’t not be on your toes as a default state of mind.
Whoop! I hope you didn’t get anxious reading that!
In any case, I’ve learnt to deal with it and am still learning how to better manage my expectations. For a start, I know that 90% of the things I think of play out only in my head. Secondly, as long as I keep my mind distracted or focused on something, it forgets about being anxious and having to show some results to whomever it thinks is looking. Thirdly, I have time. Fourthly, stop thinking about the future and focus on the present.
Instead of looking around, look within.
So, being under quarantine is no walk in the park. While things have definitely slowed down around here, my mind still thinks it’s living at 300mph (or at least thinks it should) and then wonders why nothing is happening and that my life must surely be going to waste and I’ll die a shrivelled, lonely amnesia patient in an old folks’ home when I’m 65.
I’ve come up with ways to deal with this craziness that nobody else can see. But the one that has had the greatest impact is to keep reminding myself that this is a global pandemic and I’m allowed to remain stagnant till things start looking better again. Yes, other people are still busy with their 9-to-5’s but my life was never like those people’s to begin with, so I can’t compare.
Instead of looking around, look within. What makes you, you? Are you taking time out for yourself? What are you doing for self care? If nobody else’s lives mattered to you and neither yours to them, what would you be doing that would make you contented, or excited?
Some ways I’ve coped with anxiety during this quarantine period:
- reading
- blogging
- putting on an eye mask
- taking a proper shower
- Pilates
- planning and taking action for Trouvée.Co (actually this helps a lot)
- connecting with friends and family
- announcing to my family (actually just Xav and our helper who listens in) that I need my “me” time
- wearing cute loungewear
- consuming content with positive vibes
Now that last point is important, because vibes really matter. Whether it comes from a gemstone sitting on my dresser, or a daily açai bowl recipe from an influencer’s IG Story, they have the power to completely change my energy for the day and give it a great boost. Window shopping on Etsy for a cocktail ring as a belated Mother’s Day present to myself is quite exciting too.
Browsing through my feed on Bloglovin is also a great help. There are so many awesome blogs out there that just ooze fun and have that light, airy, refreshing feel to their articles. It’s like Pinterest but curated for blogs. You can check out the blogs I follow on my Bloglovin profile here.
It’s just a couple more weeks to go in this circuit breaker (and maybe longer if you’re living in the States or the UK) and hopefully things will get better soon. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions on how you deal with anxiety while staying home, do share them with me!