All advice/recommendations are formed by my experiences and opinions and not by a professional. Please be advised.

Didn’t Really Expect This Kind of Crazy Year…

This year has been a whirlwind and I know I’m not the only one thinking and feeling it. Have you taken the time to check in on yourself?

Your mental health is extremely important.

Self-care is extremely important.

In the last seven months, I think I had forgotten about that. I’ve gotten lower than I have in a very long time. I’ve become so incredibly irritable and just upset. Sometimes my only trigger would simply have to be getting out of bed. There was no tangible “something” that would put me in these moods.

I ended up gaining over 10 lbs since January, which doesn’t seem like a huge amount, but definitely has lowered my self-confidence.

The one hobby that keeps me grounded and focused is cooking, which is why I love producing content for this blog so much. However, by eliminating that, it brought me to take a step back and realize I hadn’t taken actual time for myself since this whole pandemic started.

Yikes.

How Are You Managing Your Stress?

When I say this, I’m not categorizing stress as something catastrophic. Stress can be both positive and negative. Regardless, it needs to be processed like any emotions. Keep it bottled up long enough and it’ll pop like a cork of a champagne bottle. Overflowing with that foam of every little moment that led up to that pop.

One of the ways I used to keep these emotions in check was by keeping a consistent schedule of appointments I’d make for myself to just relax and have someone else do something for me. Whether it was getting my hair done, or maybe going out for a drink not made by me.

It’s these moments that we sometimes forget about that have such an influence on our mental state. Our “normal”.

I’ve made a few appointments once things started opening up a little bit. I’ve been to the salon, I finally booked that dentist appointment I’ve been needing–it was my little taste of normal. I also treated myself to a new subscription box to review. The ultimate self-care pack!

My boyfriend and I even went out for a drink the other week. We were outside and practicing social distancing, but it was so nice to be out.

How have you been managing this new normal?

What if I Need to Talk to Someone?

Knowing that your stress is really taking a toll on you is incredibly brave. It takes a lot for someone to acknowledge that they need some help. There is nothing wrong with that. During this pandemic it is certainly very difficult to find the proper help you need, in person, however, there are options for you.

One organization that I heard nothing but great things about it Better Help.

I have checked them out and signed up, but I’ll be honest that I need a little bit more of a boost to take the plunge. I’ve never seen a therapist, but I think in this craziness that we’re living through, it’s worth taking the time to speak to someone, to get an objective point of view on the way you’re seeing things.

Better Help is an online counseling organization. You get matched with a counselor in as soon as 24 hours. You can have chat sessions and even video calls, which makes this so incredibly accessible right now.

If you find you’re not vibing with your counselor and they just don’t feel like the right fit, you can request to get matched with a different counselor at no extra charge.

Speaking of charge–Better Help is reasonably affordable, even to those without insurance. You can test out the services and see if it’s something you’re comfortable with.

Again, it’s just another option for you. Self-care comes in many forms.

In the End…

What really matters is that we’re taking the time to process our emotions and experiences in a way that works best for us. This is a completely new situation for all of us, but we just need to learn to adapt. I’m still learning what works best for me, but just acknowledging that I needed to take a step back puts me in a better state and on a better path to get my self-care in check.

As always…stay safe, be well, and stay Grey-mazing!