Mental Health Monday: Dreary Monday Musings
It’s a dreary, drizzly Monday and I don’t feel great. I’ve been in my house for about two weeks straight now. I’m going stir crazy and getting bored. There’s no sun coming in through the windows, and I feel down in the dumps. I’m stressed about the lack of money I’m bringing in and what the future holds. The whole situation of the pandemic and the ensuing house arrest has is really taking a toll on my mental state.
I’m sure at least some of this sounds familiar. We’re all in pretty much the same boat right now. Some of us are worried about paying rent. Some of us are worried if they’ll have jobs to go back to, and others are worried that they’ll lose the businesses they’ve worked their whole lives to build. There’s an air of fear and paranoia and it feels all but inescapable now, especially as I’m slowly running out of distractions.
It’s important to talk about things. Especially now, when some of us may be spending hours, days and weeks alone. If you’re by yourself, reach out to people and tell them how you’re feeling. And if you’ve woken up and feel mentally able to take on the day, then reach out to someone and inquire if they’re alright. I try to message a few people every day to see how they’re coping, working through my contact list so that over the course of this, I’ve checked in with everybody at least once. People need to know that you’re there. And you need those people, too.
Too often, especially in our industry, we never take the time to slow down and reach out about our problems and feelings. There’s an all-consuming push to get to service, finish service, clean up, do it all again and it can leave room for little else. As a result, lots of service industry folks are super bad at opening up and talking about what’s bothering them or what they’re afraid of. The drive to be “hospitable”, to be a people-pleaser means that you put the needs of others before yours and may feel like opening up is akin to burdening someone else with your issues.
That’s simply not the case, however. Mental health is every bit as important as physical health. If this situation is putting you through the wringer, if you’re afraid and uncertain about the future, you’re not alone. Talk to the people in your life. The only way we’ll get through this is together. There is no shame in reaching out. Just because we’re distancing physically doesn’t mean we can’t be strong together. Like the old saying goes:
Shared joy is a double joy, whereas shared sorrow is half sorrow
– Swedish Proverb
Just some thoughts on this rainy Monday morning. If I haven’t personally reached out to you yet, it’s coming, I promise. And feel free to reach out to me here, too. If there’s something you’d like to read, a question I can answer, a recipe I can provide, I’d be more than happy to do it.
