Editor’s note: This article includes references to depression.
As the world slowly but surely returns to “normal,” society is once again faced with a seismic shift in the way we think, function, and experience things.
It has been a time for those of us who live with a fragile mental state. But at the beginning of lockdown, I was actually in a great headspace despite the crisis we found ourselves in. Amid a reset of what daily life looked like, I actually fell into a better routine than the one I had previously been keeping. Even though my gym was shuttered, I prioritized working out more regularly. Without events and an IRL social life, my sleep schedule improved slightly. I had extra time to focus on myself, my wellbeing, and my goals.
Along with this came guilt. Guilt for “thriving” when so many others fell into a deeper pit of sadness, and people who weren’t depressed before suddenly found themselves unable to cope with the new normal. A deluge of financial pressures, isolation, and so much more were all suddenly thrust upon us with little support to meet it.
