A little over a month ago I was sitting elbow-to-elbow in a crowded coffee shop studying for my finals. Now, I walk through the grocery store wearing a mask, gloves and maintaining a 6-foot distance from everyone. This pandemic caused so much change in such a short amount of time. With the stay-at-home order, the transition to online classes, and moving back home, it was hard not to feel anxious because of all these changes.
I coped with my anxiety the best way I knew how: binge-watching Netflix, eating everything in the pantry, and retail therapy. But no matter what I did, that anxiety was still gnawing at me.
One morning I woke up to a text from my friend saying, “I left something on your front porch.” I walked down the stairs and opened the front door to find a box of blueberry scones perched on my doorstep. Next to the box was a note that read, “Hi! I hope you and your family are well. Here are some scones to brighten your day.”
I called her to say thank you for the scones. During that conversation, I learned that she had also been struggling with the pandemic and she coped by baking. She baked blueberry scones and delivered them to her friends and family. At that moment, I realized why I couldn’t get rid of my anxiety.
My friend is in the same position as I am. Everything in her life is changing. She’s living back at home, she doesn’t have a job anymore, her classes are online, and she can’t go out and see her friends. On top of that, she’s seeing the people around her struggle with health concerns or job loss. Rather than feel overwhelmed and useless, she baked. She made scones and delivered them to her friends and family. It may not be much, it won’t fix people’s problems, but it does make a difference. Far too often, small acts of kindness are undervalued. People want to make a difference but feel so pressured to spend lots of time or money that it eventually leads to inaction. But in times like these, it’s the small acts of kindness that can mean the world to people. It shows that even when you are struggling, you took the time to think of someone else. Not everyone can volunteer or donate money, but everyone can find a way to help someone in their community. Even if it is as small as a scone, it can make all the difference.
I didn’t realize how much it was bothering me that I couldn’t connect with people. Under normal circumstances, I feel connected to my community, but now I feel so separate from everyone. It’s important to find ways to connect with one another. My friend did that by delivering blueberry scones to her friends and family. She did what she could to show the people in her life that she cared about them. Her actions inspired me to find my own way of connecting with my community. That day, I picked flowers, arranged bouquets, and set them on my neighbors’ doorsteps.
I know it sounds cliché, but helping others really does help yourself. Seeing the looks on my neighbors’ faces when they got my flowers calmed my anxiety because I knew that that small act of kindness made their day better. We’re living in uncertain times and that can be cause for anxiety, but being able to make someone else’s day better, even if it’s just for a moment, can bring back a sense of certainty. You don’t have to donate a lot of money or volunteer your time. I understand that not everyone is able to help in a big way, but call your friends and family to make sure they’re okay. Send a gift to a loved one. Smile and say hello to someone on the street. Do something small, like sharing a blueberry scone, because those gestures have the largest impact.