Hi, it’s me, a sometimes mental health blogger who realized that I might have picked the worst time for society to stop talking about taking care of your mental health.

But the truth is, I was taking a break because I needed one. Things are weird right now, and though I’m handling it pretty well, I think I speak for everyone when I say even those who are handling it well still feel the dread and uncertainty that comes with a worldwide pandemic.

Even if you somehow were not worried about the illness itself, isolation can get to you, and so can the uncertainty when it comes to our economy and jobs. It’s great if you’re handling it well but it’s also 110% okay if you’re not. It’s okay if your spending most of your time stress eating and hiding under the covers. It’s hard times and you’re allowed to feel them. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

I feel like I’ve seen two viewpoints, the utter panic one and the “grind” while off the clock one, and honestly I don’t think either one of them are very healthy. Panic is bad for you, forcing yourself to stay up to date on the stats and the latest news can plumet your mental health. So can trying to hard to be productive in a time when stress has infiltrated everyone’s lives.

There is a middle ground, one that allows you to feel all the pain and the stress, but also one that doesn’t fixate on it and tries to keep themselves busy with projects that make them happy. You don’t have to be writing the next best seller, being productive can simply mean moving forward and finding small bits of joy to savior.

There is no right way to feel what we’re going through, so don’t let others try to tell you how to handle it all, just take some time to focus on what will make you happy and what will keep you afloat. A lot will have changed when this is all said and done, make sure you’re in the best place possible when you reemerge.