This Twitter Thread About New Year’s Resolutions, COVID-19 Pandemic And Mental Health Is Just What We Need Before Entering 2022
I feel like hasn’t been normal for anyone for the past 2 years; and who’s to say how 2022 will go. With the cases rising and a new variant spreading, the state of affairs of 2022 are still a mystery to most of us. And I don’t know about you guys but the uncertainty of it all is worrying me and causing me anxiety. While I am someone who eagerly looks forward to New Year’s Eve every year, I hate to admit that the past 2 years’ celebrations have been pretty stressful thanks to all the trauma that has affected my mental health over the year and the restrictions that are imposed during this time. Behavioural health researcher and Trauma therapist Ruchita Chandrashekar wrote a Twitter thread talking about the adverse effects the pandemic and New Year can have on one’s mental health and I feel like you guys should read it too.
[THREAD] We’re about to enter year 3 of the pandemic and in this week, you will find a whole lot of information on how to set your goals and resolutions for the new year. How to make money, how to get fit, how to fulfil your ambitions and become your best self.
— Ruchita (@roocheetah) December 29, 2021
I honestly never looked at the term ‘best self’ this way. I feel it is because I tend to be very hard on myself where nothing I do is good enough. I always feel like I could have done more or tried harder.
I don’t like this term ‘best self’. It makes all the other ‘selves’ seem like they’re not good enough. They are. I hope that compassion has been the biggest takeaway from the last 2 years. Goals and ambitions don’t look the same, the future doesn’t look the same.
— Ruchita (@roocheetah) December 29, 2021
THIS! I feel that a lot of people from the older generation believe that we have it easy. But that isn’t the case. Competition is higher and the pressure to excel is more. We don’t have the option of taking breaks because then we fall behind. I personally go through the whole, “I am not enough,” mentality and I am aware of how bad that is for my mental health but I honestly don’t know how to get out of the cycle. I hope I am not alone here.
There's a lot of grief that young people carry,there is tremendous helplessness and loss of agency.All our lives we’ve been told that we can be who we want to be as adults and now we’re faced with so much uncertainty about what our individual and collective futures can look like.
— Ruchita (@roocheetah) December 29, 2021
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It can feel like you're falling behind but it’s a sign of self-preservation & protective anxiety kicking in coz of all that has been lost so far. We're all falling behind,we're all confused & being consistently on our guard about when the next shoe will drop has been exhausting.
— Ruchita (@roocheetah) December 29, 2021
Ah… her words resonate with me. I believe everyone has extraordinary potential but we don’t give ourselves enough credit. Most of us tend to focus on our failures and losses over our small wins and successes. How are we supposed to enjoy life if we don’t ever celebrate it?
At the end of 2021, please allow yourself some grace and softness. Please try to be gentle with yourself. If you’re nervous about looking forward to what the new year will bring, that’s completely fine. If you feel hopeless and lost about the future, that’s fine too.
— Ruchita (@roocheetah) December 29, 2021
Please try to allow yourself to grieve, to rest, to reflect and to be realistic about what 2021 meant for you. Count the wins too. We’ve all had wins. Our collective emotional health has been hanging by a weak thread for 2 years now. Ambitions and hustling can wait.
— Ruchita (@roocheetah) December 29, 2021
I wouldn’t say that Ruchita’s words have vanquished my anxieties and worries but I will say they have reminded me that it is okay to be anxious in the first place. We have all had years full of horrible mental health and traumatic experiences. And whether you believe it or not, your problems are just as valid as someone else’s. So please do try and be kinder to yourself when you set goals for yourself in 2022. I will be trying the same.
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