Esterella: 2021

I am not really sure what to make of 2021. This year honestly felt like the second part of 2020 and was hard. My 2021 was two halves. The first half was restrictions - lockdowns and very few places open. It was this half, where I almost lost all sense of myself, being mainly in my room. Then there was the second half, where things started opening up again and I was able to feel a little more like myself being able to get involved in more. Either way, 2021 taught me a lot.

Outline of a woman with her hands in her face. Baby blue background with line decoration in the top left hand side corner and bottom right hand side corner. Text reading what it feels like to be depressed.

If you are reading this, then it means I found the courage to upload this post to my blog instead of it sitting in my drafts or in a word document. When I first started supporting people I care about with their mental health, I never imagined I might one day find myself in this situation. To be honest, I am terrified of ever sharing this, but I don’t know who might need to read this.

Over the last few months, I have realised that I have felt invalidated in various ways. So much so that at points I completely stopped even considering how I feel. Sometimes when I have felt invalidated it is due to other people's actions (ignoring how I may feel or completely disregarding it) and sometimes my own choices (such as not considering how I am in given moments). Or a combination of both. However, regardless of whatever invalidation you have faced, what you have to say matters. What you experience is real and no one is in a position to tell you what your lived experience is.

Stars and dot pattern in the corners on a purple and lilac background. Text in the centre reads being proud of what you achieve.

I have noticed that it is not very common for me to feel completely happy with what I achieve. That there always seems to be one thing that I demand better of myself in. Whilst striving for better is always something good, there comes a point where you also have to recognise and acknowledge what you have got. Be proud of yourself for what you have achieved even if the result was not entirely what you were aiming for.

My experience with therapy in a swirl. Waves and blue circles on a baby blue background.

I’d never had therapy before this year. In hindsight, therapy is something 14-year-old me should have done. But, I was too embarrassed about it and the thought of asking for help filled me with absolute dread. So I always pretended to feel okay when I wasn't and managed to avoid ever going. I was able to get out of the difficult period by myself, but I know I could have done with some support. Fast forward to now, and I no longer feel embarrassed about the prospect of going to therapy or being in therapy, but taking the steps were still daunting. I am writing this post to reassure someone who is nervous about seeking therapy, remind you that you are not alone and normalise being in therapy; therapy is no different to going to the doctor when you feel physically ill.

Emotions in a bottle, a plant and 2 red hearts (one broken and another with an arrow crossing through the heart) with calligraphy reading how are you really feeling?

How many times have you automatically answered "I am okay" to the question how are you? Without even thinking. Without properly taking a moment to pause and question whether you really feel okay. Or openly admitting that recently you may not have been feeling yourself. It has always been obvious to me that we avoid talking about mental health and difficult conversations as to how we really feel, but I suppose never as much as now. Coronavirus has isolated us a lot and made it so much easier to lie, especially because a lot of our communication is now through a screen. It is so easy to type the words "I am fine" on your phone whilst actually crying your eyes out.

Sometimes we keep going mindlessly. So much to the point where it all becomes monotonous and we are not sure why we started in the first place. We forget our why and what the original goal of everything was. That happened to me recently. I was just getting things done for the sake of getting them done- I did not see the point, it was just something that needed doing. I needed a reset. A way to start fresh.

Envelopes with hearts, and hearts against a pink background. Text reading redefining valentine's day, self love.

It is Valentine's day today. I have seen a fair amount of posts surrounding Valentine's day and the typical how to find the perfect gifts etc. But before you can be happy in any relationship, you have to know how to love yourself. That is why I wanted to talk a little bit about self-love this Valentine's day. It feels somewhat cringey and unoriginal talking about this, but I think it is an important one.

Fear of missing out and how to cope with it- confetti and flower design in the corners.

As we are trapped in another lockdown and coronavirus seems to be dragging on for what feels like forever, it can be easy to feel like you are missing out. I know the thought definitely sometimes comes to mind for me. I sometimes can't help but feel like I am missing out on a university experience and being young at the moment - living life to the fullest as such. It is okay to feel sad about lost experiences, and only natural. However, if this is your only focus, it can get you into a rut and thinking about it like this constantly is not a good way to look at it.

Rainbow butterfly. Text reading at the top - letting yourself be. Going with the flow

Going with the flow- doing things in a way that feels right for you in the moment without overthinking it too much. The best way to be creative - it allows you to get lost in the magic of the moment. To forget expectations, do what your body asks you to do and express yourself. But, sometimes it is so hard to do because we are almost taught not to do this. We get lost in what the final result will be, in making sure it looks perfect or a particular way because that is what we have been taught is 'beautiful'.

Galaxy and stars with writing reading knowing your worth

I was recently thinking about what to write. Overthinking it and especially aware of the fact that I’m just a 20 year old girl studying law. What I write about and share on this blog isn’t an area I can say I am an expert in. I’m not a psychologist or a psychiatrist. What I know about psychology is purely out of interest and there’s still so much I need to learn. I’m simply sharing my life experiences and things that have helped me. Words that I think others need to hear too. I wondered what someone like me can possibly have to add. What I say in my blog posts isn’t necessarily groundbreaking. It may even be things you already know. That got me thinking about value. About how everyone has a voice and adds value in some way and how the way I was thinking about it was wrong. Sure, what I say might not be something you’ve never heard before but it’s based on my unique life experiences. They are words that can be comforting to others. Words that although not necessarily completely new, words people may need to hear.

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