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It was early March 2020, and I felt on top of my game. I had recently completed my first full marathon and I was working out regularly. I felt physically strong and healthy. Home and work-life were going well too, contributing to my mental and emotional health. I felt the best I?ve ever felt.
But then, COVID hit and shortly afterwards, my world felt like it was crumbling down. I was no longer doing the things that gave me energy and joy. I found myself in bed and sad more often than I would like to admit. As an empath, the strain of COVID?s impact and other world events took a mental toll on my health. 
Even in the summer when we visited the cottage and I should have been happily playing with my kids, all I wanted to do was lie in bed. My energy was low, and I just wanted to be alone. I soon realized that what I was feeling was anxiety. Something that I had experienced only a couple of times before in my life. Except this time, it festered much longer. My “therapy” at the time was my blog and social media. I found it helpful to write down what I was feeling and share it with others. It helped me to normalize my feelings when I realized that I was not alone. Eventually, I began running again, which was always very therapeutic for me. I craved that alone time, especially since my kids were at home for the year doing virtual school. The endorphins from running also helped boost my mood. While I found ways to cope, my anxiety was there, on and off, ...