What emotion comes to your mind when you think of 2020-21?
For me, right now, it’s joy.
As in, “does anyone remember what joy feels like?”
Isn’t There Something More I Should Be Doing?
I’ve never felt more useless than during covid. In my country, there ws a time when every Thursday evening everybody lined up outside to applaud health workers. Quite rightly, we recognised their bravery and heroism in frightening circumstances.
I, on the other hand, wasn’t saving lives. I’ve spent the last few years writing…
Getting Out of a Rut With Physics & Cleaning Spray
When you don’t know how long an unusual situation will last, it makes sense to wait for it to blow over. But if it goes on long enough, we must adapt.
Can Jealousy Be Good? Finding Perspective on Others’ Successes
They say “comparison is the thief of joy.” But, unfortunately, comparison can’t steal other people’s joy.
Believe me, I’ve tried.
The Bright Side of Getting Distracted
As a child I was confused by a story about a kid torturing himself by trying not to think about orange penguins. The intended moral was that it’s impossible to not think about something. But I never understood why you wouldn’t want to think about orange penguins. They seemed fun!
Scared of Public Speaking? Tips from an Anxious Comedian
The first time I ever spoke in front of a large audience, I was terrified. Even the (ironic) comfort that the topic was “my fear of public speaking” didn’t help.
Untying the Knot of Anxiety, One Strand at a Time
Each attempt to fix my anxiety only unearthed more problems… but it IS possible to get anxiety under control.
One Life in Lockdown
They’re building something over the road. For months, piles of earth have appeared and disappeared, punctuating my days with clanking and drilling and the beeping of huge machines reversing.
It might sound like I’m about to complain, but I’m delighted. At the time of writing, it has been exactly fifty days since I…
Feeling Scared as Lockdown Ends? An Anxious Human Explores Some Feelings
It’s June, 2020, and here in the UK the coronavirus lockdown is relaxing. (Actually, it’s not at all relaxing, it’s extremely stress-inducing, but you know what I mean.) Like most people, I’ve struggled with isolation and stress during these early stages of the pandemic but now that some aspects of daily life are returning…
Nostalgia, Regret and the Coronavirus Lockdown
As I write, it’s day fifty-one of not seeing any other humans. And, just in case you’re reading from the future, I should stress that that’s not purely by choice. We’re in lockdown to avoid spreading a deadly disease.
During lockdown, I’ve experienced many feelings. I’ve been through the ups and downs, the…