As a psychology major at the University of Scranton, I was eager to write about this week’s Her Campus article theme: mental health awareness.
I believe this pandemic had (and still has) a negative effect on almost everyone’s mental health this year. It did for me, at least. Over the quarantine period, I developed severe anxiety and felt extremely lonely in a house full of people. I spent almost every single day laying in my bed from morning to night, overeating, sleeping too much, and constantly on edge. It was a dark time.
Around May of this year, I decided enough was enough and I couldn’t sit in misery forever. I realized “yeah, my situation is pretty bad, but other people have it worse.” And with that, I made sure to practice gratitude for the life I have. I discovered spirituality and began putting my trust into the universe. In fact, my beliefs and spiritual practices helped me ground myself when my anxiety was skyrocketing. Every time I felt overwhelmed and anxious, I would practice meditation with healing crystals (especially Amethyst) and it would calm me greatly.
For those struggling right now with anxiety, like I did (and sometimes still do), I would encourage you to practice meditation and healing practices. There are so many spiritual practices out there that can reduce anxiety and raise your self-esteem and optimism that you can participate in, regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs. I would also recommend daily exercise and self-care. Performing self-care is one of my favorite ways to calm my anxiety, as well as a daily workout routine.