Being overwhelmed can destabilize you. This month makes it over a year since a close family member had a medical emergency. I had never experienced that particular incident in my entire life and it scared me. I can never ever forget how that felt.
Thinking back, I think it was only normal for me to be overwhelmed by it because I had never experienced that. Well, if it happens again I would still be overwhelmed by it. As humans, it is normal to be overwhelmed by something we are unfamiliar with.
Since the ease of the lock down, we’ve heard a lot about the new normal and post-COVID realities. Truthfully, it is an important discussion but it can be too overwhelming at the same time. We just survived a pandemic with its anxieties and panic attacks. I definitely know a lot of us who fought to be calm during that period. It was tough but we learnt how to cope eventually. Even before the virus, what most people considered normal wasn’t really normal for most of us. It was quite a challenge to flow with people in the previous normal and now a new one has arrived.
Everyone speaks about it like it’s that easy to just move on. It is easy for some but not for all. After the struggle to have stable mental health in this funny world; went through therapy, got a job, moved out of parents house, got involved with a higher purpose, took responsibility for our lives when it didn’t seemed to be possible, and now we are just expected to embrace the new normal because it’s ‘the right thing to do’. This is not something we’re familiar with at all. Maybe in an alternate universe if there is. It’s just too much expectation from society and ourselves too. We feel we should move on easily, it’s not really a big deal. After all, it’s for our benefit that we learn to cope. Like a friend would say “It’s like telling someone with a phobia not to be scared of it. They are scared and that’s why it’s a phobia.”
If you are experiencing the pressure of figuring everything out or can feel the expectations weighing too much on you, understand it’s completely okay to be overwhelmed. Take deep breaths, remember you’re really amazing and you are not going through this alone. This is also new for everyone and that should bring you some comfort. We’d figure it out at our own pace and under no pressure. If there are stuff you need to do but aren’t a necessity, push them forward on your schedule and focus on necessary stuff. If you probably think all your efforts are going to ultimately fail, banish that thought and try for a more positive approach. Just one step at a time, one day at a time, at your own pace, and this overwhelming phase would pass. We’d come out better.
MANI is also here for you, if you need to talk to someone.
-Praise