The world is in chaos. People are clearing out the grocery stores within a few hours. People are scared, nervous, and praying for the world to go back to normal. I find myself pouring over article after article, seeing the updated number of cases, terrified for my loved ones. I started sobbing the other day because I have to push my best friend’s birthday party to later this year. I think about all of the people who cannot be treated because of the sheer lack of medical supplies available in order to treat people who are sick. 

It’s all incredibly stressful and overwhelming. I have noticed an overwhelming amount of people saying that you should allow yourself to feel whatever emotions you need to feel. This is a difficult time that’s true, but you can’t let the fear consume you. Depression is very real, and stress can cause health problems on its own. Be kind to yourself, but also do something besides watching the death toll on the news.

I have been trying to remind myself that even though life is hard right now, it still exists. I also have been thinking about something one of my teachers talked about during my senior year of high school. It was in religion class, but I think the core idea can apply perfectly to stressful situations. She told us to allow ourselves to be stressed about something one hour a day for situations we cannot change. Then after that hour, you go on with your normal life.

This is important right now when all the majority of us can do right now is stay home to keep ourselves and others safe. Try to make the best of the time you do have to do whatever you love to do.  You never know what beauty can come out of the chaos if you choose to allow yourself to be open to that beauty. I have to trust that humanity will come together to make sure that the world is still standing after this crazy time has passed. I hope I am not wrong, but I guess I’ll worry about that for an hour tomorrow.