Up until this point, the stress in my life had been mostly mental stress and frustration concerning the planet. I felt helpless and as if so much was out of our control. All this uncertainty, isolation, and separation took a toll on me. My system shut down and put me in a state of emergency.
I suspect I’m not alone in feeling this way; there is research to show that by late 2020, 37% of Americans had symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. And during the continued pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder.
After spending 24 hours in the ER, before I left the hospital, the nurse asked me, “What is your plan as you leave? Did this experience teach you anything?” I responded with a full heart, “A major re-evaluation of my life is in order, starting with radical self-care and adding in a nourishing daily routine. I will no longer let the things I can’t control, control me.” She hugged me and responded, “You deserve your own care and love. You are worth it.”
“I will no longer let the things I can’t control, control me.”
I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and stop obsessing about things I couldn’t control.