So, what did people say to the question in 2015, “where do you see yourself in 5 years time?”
I haven’t really written an article about mental health which says a lot really.
I don’t think anyone was prepared for the year that is 2020 has thrown us. I can imagine that everyone saw a new decade, a new start, new challenge and new horizons to build towards. And then in March, we were told to stay at home and work from home.
Back in May, I wrote an article about a personal account of being isolated during these times. I talk about how I felt distant from friends and people from comic con, wished people would reach out to me. But I turned my mindset around and tried to be more productive with my time and reconnect with friends.
In between then to now, I have been keeping busy with starting a podcast series which I am very proud of and was a way to keep in contact with friends and chat about comic-con shenanigans which I think we all miss.
I was also very lucky to do a few location photoshoots when the lockdown was relaxed and very grateful to get out and about.
But it’s not been always great times during this lockdown/pandemic era we are living in. While at home I would get in a routine of updating my website, write an article, record a podcast, edit that podcast and edit some photos. And then I would repeat that process for most weeks. I think I’ve discovered that I need a more variety of activities which I can swap in and out from time to time.
I would find it hard at times to get out of bed and start my day. I had to start writing a task list of things I needed to do just that one I didn’t forget things, and for a while was a good way to drive myself to do a bit of work. But after a while, I started to notice I was writing the same thing week on week on my task list.
These are the moment where I’ve not been good to myself on a mental wellbeing level. Somehow I convince myself that I was burning myself out. These are the times where I’ve not been ok. I was chatting to my friend where they were saying that “it was ok to feel burnt out during these times”. As the title of says, they also said, it was ok to not to be ok, there is no shame in feeling down. For me, it was a sign of needing a change, or a take a break from things.
I need to give myself time for my mental wellbeing to recharge, ready to go again. You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again, without feeling not ok, or burnt out. I do wish I saw this sooner and contacted MIND to discuss this with but also thankful for my friends who are willing to talk to me and see the signs that I was not ok and was told to step away from things just to recharge my battery.
Feel free to add a comment to this article if you want to discuss this further.
Should you be struggling with your wellbeing and mental health and need someone to talk to, here is a list of services that we hope can help you.
- Mind Info Line 0300 123 3393 (Mon – Fri 9am to 5pm)
- Samaritans 116 123 (everyday, 24 hours)
- C.A.L.M. 0808 802 58 58 (everyday 5pm to midnight)
- HOPElinkUK 0800 068 4141
- YoungMinds www.youngminds.org.uk
- Anxiety UK 08444 775 774
- BEAT – eating disorder 0845 634 1414
- Local Services (NHS Choices or NHS 111)
- Student Minds www.studentminds.org.uk
- Boots Domestic Violence
