Election 2020

Today has been nerve racking. My anxiety has been through the roof so I’m hoping for the best. I hope that no matter what the results of this historic election comes out to be that there will be less chaos in America. That’s really all I want. Less chaos and a country that feels safe for you and me. At this rate I’m hoping to fall asleep soon since we definitely won’t know who won tonight. Let’s see how President Trump handles that.

Rekindle

There’s that saying that says if it’s meant to be it will be. It’s been on my mind a bit lately. We drift from people and that could be a combination of friends and family but sometimes we have an opportunity to pull the pieces back together and reconnect and that can never be taken for granted. Sometimes you can jump right back into where things left off but other times you wade through a bit of knee deep water before things feel like they’re back to what they were. Essentially, years go by and people change but even with that it’s still possible to rekindle a friendship. There are those rare cases when so much time has passed that rekindling a friendship just isn’t worth the effort. Not necessarily saying there are ill intentions or bad blood but we’re just on different paths and going in different directions. The key is being prepared for either one of those outcomes regardless of what you really want.

F Anxiety

So anxiety is a bitch. I spent all day having nervous breakdowns and worrying about how things would be at this Christmas Eve party just to show up and have it be better than my anxiety could’ve allowed me to imagine. Needless to say, I’m glad that the day ended the way it did. I’m glad I was able to overcome my anxiety for one night. That’s literally all I can do. One day at a time.

Christmas Eve

The holiday season is supposed to be filled with joy, love and family. It’s easy to lose sight of that on top of all the rituals and obligations that we may feel we have to participate in. Seeing family and friends that I haven’t seen much throughout the year has my anxieties on the max level today. I fear the unknown you could say. Not knowing how those at this gathering will react seeing me for the first time in months. Not knowing if they’ll understand the distance and my reasoning for loving my solitude. Not knowing if I’ll be judged for the amount of time I can manage to be there for emotionally. All of these things make it seem so much easier to stay home and protect my mental space. With that option though comes the awkward tensions on the true day of the holiday and no one understanding why protecting my mental space is so important. Families can think that it’s good to be gathered together but while it’s good for most there are people like me who honestly would rather do nothing at all. It slightly annoys me that at this time no one can wish that people do what is the best thing for them. We may not understand why but I think that family should be supportive of whatever another member needs in order to be healthy, in order to get through the holidays and in order to enjoy the holiday season however they choose. People don’t seem to be aware of how much harm the obligations and traditions can do to a person’s mental health and here’s to hoping for holiday seasons that aren’t filled with a ton of pressure in the future.

Seasonal

Seasonal depression is more real than people tend to admit. The holiday season is supposed to be filled with joy and a ton of bonding experiences with family and friends. There are gift giving obligations and various dinners and brunches. While that is all good it’s easy to forget that in the midst of that can be severe depression and anxieties are at an all time high.

Not everyone spends this time of the year surrounded by family or friends. Sometimes it’s not that people choose to be alone it’s that it’s their only option. For some this time of the year can be the most dreaded. For some this time of the year is the one time self consciousness is through the roof. For some this time of the year can be a time of mourning and grieving lost loved ones.

If you know someone who has seemed distant during this time be conscious of the fact that emotions are usually at an all time high this time of the year. With all that’s expected everything can easily become overwhelming.