It’s been about five months since the world turned upside down. Five months of quarantine, social distancing, and isolation. Five months of masks, hand sanitizer, and Zoom calls. Five months of learning how to adapt to survive in an entirely new environment. For folks living with mental illness, survival means something different right now. It means learning how to let …
Coping with Back to School Anxiety
This week for #WarriorWednesday, #DearCaroline discussed anxiety about going back to school and how to deal with the unknowns. She gave a few tips on how to approach this new school year. First, go in with an open mindset, no matter what your school is doing. Be open to the way this year is going to look. Next, remind yourself …
You Already Have the Strengths Within You
It felt a little rusty to give a speech last week. I have given speeches here and there during COVID, but none consistently as I had been doing pre-COVID. I was a bit nervous and took a lot of time to prepare and make sure I was ready to go and knew what to say. After the presentation was over, …
Leave Your Burdens Behind
So we all know we’re living in an unprecedented time. I feel like a broken record every time I say it, but it’s true. The world has never been so universally impacted by anything before COVID, and we’re all learning how to cope with this new way of life. From mask mandates to planning for school and the future, nothing …
Embrace the Beauty of Life
Lately, I’ve had a hard time thinking about or doing anything that brings me pure joy and happiness. My mind has been preoccupied with the fear of COVID-19, rising tensions in the socio-political landscape, and how the world will continue to be impacted by these issues. I have to make a conscious effort to recognize the beauty in life right …
Student Mental Health Advocate Takes Over Insta Stories
This week for #freeyourmindfriday, Diya, an incoming freshman at UC and mental health advocate, took over our Instagram stories to talk about dealing with burnout and depression. Check out her bio below! Diya is 18 years old and an incoming freshman at the University of Cincinnati. She is excited to be majoring in Medical Sciences and minoring in Psychology. Diya …
Overcoming the Fear of the Future
This week for #WarriorWednesday, Caroline McKeown was back with another #DearCaroline vlog on overcoming the anxiety of uncertainty and the fear of the future. She says that this is one of her biggest fears, and it has pushed her back so many times. Especially now, when no one knows what’s going to happen next due to COVID, many teens are struggling …
Don’t Let Stress Steal Your Joy
Planning a wedding during COVID has hands down been one of the most stressful things of my life. I had everything planned early, to prevent the stress I am feeling now. And then COVID messed up every single plan, and we were back at step 1, preplanning a wedding in a short amount of time. There have been countless meltdowns, …
Now is the Time for Selflessness
This week, I was having a hard time figuring out what to write about. Every time I thought about discussing self-care, it felt so self-indulgent in a time of global crisis. Who am I to deserve time to take care of myself when people are dying, either from police brutality or a global pandemic? Then it hit me. Right now, …
Each Moment is Part of Our Story of Growth
Honesty time, because that is what this blog is for and because my blogs resonate with what I’m feeling in that moment. I am having a tough time posting my blogs. I have this well-constructed goal in my head to post every Monday. Sometimes I ask myself why I have that goal, but I am always reminded when someone tells …