Dear Survivor: Stop. Thinking. This is the end.

 

Dear survivor,

Stop. Thinking. This is. The End.

It’s Year Two of the pandemic. I sometimes find myself staying in bed. I am among those who struggle with high-functioning anxiety. Despite instances of being crippled by worries and feelings of dread, I get the job done - or rather, jobs - as I have at least four income streams in public relations, content marketing, and content creation. It isn’t as visible as other conditions because people would see us as productive and dependable.

(Stop. Thinking. This is. The End.)

But after the workweek’s done, I just lie in bed. I don’t like how my belly has grown big. I feel frustrated that the city’s vaccination registration website wasn’t working - at least the “Submit” button for me. I forgot to take out the trash and my roommate’s going to reprimand me with a Post-It note again. One of my projects is ending in two months. What is going to happen to me to us?

(Stop. Thinking. This is. The End.)

If the pandemic is a crisis event in comics, some of us are fighting two kinds of supervillains on two fronts. One is external - the COVID-19 virus and its variants. The other is internal - anxiety, stress, depression, and even grief to those who lost loved ones during the lockdown. For the virus, we have the vaccines. But for the battles of the mind, they’re tough. The stay-at-home orders have eliminated some of the tools we use to cope - from as grand as attending concerts and watching movies in cinemas to as simple as giving a friend a warm hug.

(Stop. Thinking. This is. The End.)

Yes, stop thinking this is the end. As long as you breathe, there is hope. Look around you. Find ways on how to beat this. For mood boosters, stock up on bananas and chocolate drinks which were found to help produce happy hormones. Our body is also designed to move. Have a routine for simple exercises that are also scientifically proven to lessen anxiety and manage depression. 

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(But what if I can't help myself?)

If you can’t be a superhero to yourself, seek professional help. There’s no shame to try going to therapy. Talk to a psychologist. 

You could also share your problems with your dear friends. We all need a strong support system in this world, where everything’s seemed new and strange to all of us.

Perhaps, you can also share your struggles and so others can also learn how to cope with the anxiety brought by the pandemic. Talking is also therapeutic.

Oh, you did.

So dear survivor, stop thinking this is the end. 

(It's not.)

Our lives are still not over, they need --

TO BE CONTINUED...

This story is an entry to ComCo Southeast Asia’s “Write to Ignite Blogging Project Season 2: Dear Survivor”. The initiative continues to respond to the need of our times, as every story comes a long way during this period of crisis.  The initiative aims to pull and collate powerful stories from the Philippine blogging communities to inspire the nation to rise and move forward amidst the difficult situation. The “Write to Ignite Blogging Project” Season 2 is made possible by ComCo Southeast Asia, with Eastern Communications and Jobstreet as co-presenters, with AirAsia and Xiaomi as major sponsors, and with Teleperformance as sponsor.