One month ago, I had a complete—and inevitable—breakdown over pandemic longevity and being unhappy in basically every aspect of my life.
I started realizing how much stress has affected my body over the past year. My hair has fallen out, I’ve had to start wearing my night guard more, my skin has been all over the place, my energy depleted.
So I started making some changes, putting all my focus on rebuilding my life in a way that’s meaningful for me.
Managing my stress levels and prioritizing my health. Making an effort to see friends and family. Taking leaps of faith and committing to some exciting new things even though the near future is so uncertain. I felt immense anxiety, but it was helping.
And then, in the past warm, sunshine-filled 24 hours, all of the following have happened to either me or my close friends:
Met a new family member for the first time since she was born in January.
Picked up keys to a new apartment.
Got engaged.
Heard about secured grant funding for an exciting new project at work.
Got a vaccine appointment for a sibling.
Found out an immunocompromised loved one is finally developing antibodies.
Got vaccinated a month earlier than expected.
You might be feeling crushing anxiety thinking about the next several months. There might be a side of you that doesn’t want the pandemic to end. You might have just had the worst year of your life—or still be in it. You might even be shaming yourself for feeling these things when, really, aren’t we all supposed to be filled with joy that we’re making our way to the other side of this?
But entertain this for a second: It is very possible that the light at the end of the tunnel could be just around the corner for you. As we learned last year—and as I’ve just illustrated—things can change with the snap of a finger, for worse or for better.
It’s not going to be perfect. Speaking for myself, I know that I’ll have a massive amount of anxiety as I try and take steps back into “normal.” And there are still aspects of my life that are very difficult.
But honestly? Right now, I don’t even care.
If this past year has shown me anything, it’s that I am resilient. And I’m going to take any light that’s handed to me and treat it like the absolute best thing that could happen in my life.
So if you’re struggling, just remember: The light could be closer than you think.