31 Aug 2021

Today marks the 1st of September. It’s the 120th day for Sydneysiders, the 213th for Melbournians in lockdown and I’m not doing okay. I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us are on the same page that… we’re at breaking point and stuck in a rut. And it’s okay to admit that.

This time ‘round, lockdown has hit differently. With a large portion of the country’s population in some form of self-iso, we’re all very much feeling it to some degree. I can’t pinpoint it and I’m going in circles with myself thinking, why am I worse off now than I was last year? 

I’ve done all of the activities I’ve wanted to complete. I feel hopeless when I set goals in lockdown. I’m in a never ending cycle of waking up, working from home, going on an afternoon walk, binging Netflix for three hours at night, with nothing to look forward to and I’m struggling to bring myself to feel good about it. 

 

I’m the least active I’ve been my whole life, physically and socially. I feel a wave of emotion and numb all at the same time. And everyone I’ve spoken to is in the same position. No matter whether you’re studying your degree online, teaching kids over Zoom, working from home or not working at all, the self-isolation hits you hard regardless of how you’d normally cope. But what if it’s okay to acknowledge that we’re struggling?

Maybe it’s okay to acknowledge that we’re not in a good place right now without finding a solution, hobby or activity to make us feel better.

Whether you’re feeling anxious, depressed, stressed or just can’t get out of bed in the morning, I feel you. While you find comfort in knowing that everybody is going through it together, there’s no right or wrong way to respond to what’s happening at the moment. Just putting on a fresh set of clothes might be enough. Getting through a really tough day might be enough and you know what? That’s okay.

Chris Cheers’ post below addresses what we’re going through, the reasons why our bodies and our mental state are reacting the way we do right now and some tips to help find your way through this.

 

One of the points I took away from this is that we should not be blaming or shaming ourselves for how we’re feeling. We’re struggling to practice self-control and self-care and that’s okay no matter the circumstances.

Whatever gets you through the day, whether that be a call with some mates over the footy, a sobfest with your partner on the kitchen floor or a sad rom-com movie marathon, do it. Don’t fight with how you’re feeling. Do whatever validates your emotions to get through this time. Take it one step at a time. Celebrate your wins with ice cream. You deserve to celebrate you.

We at Year13 encourage anyone struggling to speak out about their mental health - reach out to these guys for a chat:

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

MensLine Australia 1300 789 978

Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36

Headspace 1800 650 890