I'm getting the sense that people are uncomfortable talking about how the pandemic is affecting their mental health because they don't want to seem insensitive to those grappling first-hand with COVID-19, or those who are facing greater financial trouble, or unemployment.

But this is how stigma works. It convinces you that other people's problems are greater and more important than yours, that if other people can grapple with the virus itself, you can grapple with the shift in your routine, the listlessness, the loneliness, the boredom.

You are not worth any less for struggling with negative thoughts & emotions through this period. It is utterly human for you to be struggling through unexpected & monumental shifts in your way of life. No-one is finding this easy. Those that *seem* like they are, aren't. Promise.

Stigma silences us. It dictates that if we are open about our poor mental health, we're somehow weaker. But at a time of collective isolation, when we can't rely on our normal strategies to cope, being open, in so far as you feel you can, is more important than ever.

I wrote this at the beginning of the pandemic and the sentiment has stayed true throughout. If you need reassurance that it's okay to be feeling all over the place right now - give it a read. Keep well and sending you good vibes wherever you are https://medium.com/@alxndrleon/its-okay-not-to-be-coping-in-the-midst-of-a-global-crisis-most-of-us-aren-t-5f1323bfcd64