Collective deep breath, anyone? It’s been a wild year and a half, and then some. I have found myself taking many more deep breaths lately. Maybe it’s a coping skill, maybe it’s become part of my self-regulation.

I don’t enjoy remaining in what many have coined survival mode, because it keeps me in a heightened state. However, it feels like I’m in a battle that requires an extra level of strength ever since COVID started. The mental health world is moving and grooving, and hasn’t stopped because of the pandemic. If anything, the mental health of the world has declined due to isolation and fear.

But this has also opened the accessibility and the “convenience” of care for some. In order to care for my own wellness, and continue this battle, I have been able to receive telehealth therapy. It’s nice to be able to see my therapist wherever I am – in the car, at home, on a lunch break, etc. This has helped me keep my head in the game and press on. The fights ahead are many, yet I keep coming back for more.

Life is a journey, a marathon. Pace yourself, and trust yourself.

Kristen Ellis

Kristen has worked in the mental health field since 2013, with a focus on crisis work, substance use services, and bringing a voice to lived experience. Her ambition is to change the way mental health care and recovery is seen and achieved, so to redefine what it means to defeat adversity.