Recently I felt like the walls were closing in. It wasn’t just the quarantine situation… it was everything. It was a year of loss and heartbreak and feeling lost and a little broken and putting on a brave face because I had to, but also because I thought that was what was expected of me. And I broke. I was having panic attacks I didn’t realize were panic attacks, I was channeling all this frustration into being productive for the sake of being productive, and I just felt out

I am a very organized, structured person. I take pride in my to-do lists and schedules and actually look forward to my set “schedule time” each day and week. But it wasn’t until recently— being quarantined with a toddler, to be specific, that I realized how essential they are to my mental health. Knowing there’s a general flow to my day just helps it seem more manageable. It might be my need to try and control everything, but I also think that little bit of semblance of contr