I recently saw a meme on Facebook that said, “I am just going to put up my Christmas tree and call it a year”. It is something I can relate to on a very deep level.
We all thought 2020 was a difficult year, but we were optimistic (and full of hope!) that 2021 would be better. Now, almost nine months into this year, I can honestly say that this was not quite the case, as it feels like 2021 came in, saw what 2020 did and said, “Wait, hold my beer and watch this!”
Personally, I feel as if I have been in the boxing ring with a champion heavyweight boxer, continuously being pummelled with no end in sight, leaving me bruised and battered. My body and mind are tired, as the constant feeling of loss (be it the death of a friend or loved one, finances, employment, freedom or something else) continues to knock me down, wave after wave after wave.
All of these contribute to the current frail state of society, which is evident in the inappropriate emotional responses to small things, resulting in me being too scared to share my opinion on any given day. I think most of my exhaustion also stems from having to keep my responses in check to ensure that all of my thoughts about some of the things I hear (and read) do not just spill out of my mouth!
I have spent many hours thinking of ways to rectify this situation and maybe relieve some of this tension, tiredness and feeling demotivated, and the only solution I could come up with, is respect.
We are all going through tough times while trying to navigate these ever-changing times and adapt to our ‘new normal’, and by keeping our emotions in check and showing a bit more respect, we might just help to reduce some of the stress instead of adding to it.
Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other …
