When the pandemic started, I was in a very bad mental state. The uncertainty and inconsistency in life worsened my anxiety as I struggled to make sense of the state of the world in front of me.

Although it didn’t help, the pandemic wasn’t what put me in this position of bad mental health. Living with untreated generalized anxiety disorder was like living in a pandemic, filled with isolation and constant overwhelm.

So I took the situation as an opportunity. An opportunity to grow and learn a little more about myself. An opportunity to work on myself and not continue to live with the struggles I had always faced.

I did my research. I went to therapy. I did everything I needed to do to get out of the hole that I had always lived in.

Post-pandemic, I’ve now had to learn how to live with my current mental state. After the work I put in to help my anxiety combined with medication, I was able to get a handle on my anxiety. I have had to learn how to live a life without anxiety, which is a way I’ve never lived before. This transition has been very overwhelming trying to navigate a new world.

This semester we have been able to see many changes in how we are able to live. We have had the opportunity to get back to the life we were living before the pandemic. We have been fortunate to be able to see places opening back up, concerts happening, and events are happening once again.

The pandemic before was very difficult to cope with. This semester has been a positive change, as we have been able to feel what it’s like to live without a pandemic and find some sense of normalcy. I no longer had to cope with pandemic, as it has become significantly easier to live life now.

Despite the constant changes happening in our world, the biggest change for me has been my mental health. I grew and learned so much about myself throughout the pandemic, and the situation pushed me to realize that growth was crucial to find peace.