The items I chose are significant to me in so many ways; the Starbucks cup represents how coffee got me through the pandemic by giving me a reason to leave my house and go to a drive thru and getting coffee, the apple cord to a MacBook represents my iPhone and how social media and TikTok specifically helped me see that other people are going through the exact same things I am, and snap helped me connect to the people who save my life constantly by telling me how much they need me here especially when I had covid. The car key and other keys represent the drives I went on throughout the pandemic, how when I was bored I would just go for a drive, listen to music and try to cope with the new normal. Finally the necklace was given to me by my grandmother who passed away at the beginning of 2021, not from covid but of cancer and other illnesses. It has made this semester of college a whole lot harder but the necklace has been there to feel and touch when my anxiety is high.
I chose these items as a representation of my mental well being over the past year to show my growth and even failures. The succulent, while damaged, shows my perseverance over the past year. The hair product represents my journey of learning to care for my physical body. The exercise bands display my strength during the past year as well. The bag and the citrine necklace are both sunshine yellow and gifts from a family member and a friend. These represent looking for the light in dark times and leaning on friends and family for support
All of the objects I chose for this square have been vital in my mental health journey through this past year. While definitely one of the most difficult times of my life, this past year has showed me what I am made of and what is important to who I am. My journal to document, vent, explore, grieve, and celebrate. My tattoo, to remind myself of the sunny days and to bloom wherever I am. My rose quartz necklace because I am love and loved. My medicine because sometimes serotonin needs to be store bought. And my cat because sometimes the best reminders of joy in life come in the form of fuzzy ears and little paws.
My Switch helped me because whenever I found that my reality wasn’t going well I can escape to the virtual world where I’m in control.
Over the past year, I have noticed that I have drunk more than I ever have before. More particularly, I started to get into wines. Most of the time, I am home and bored. I am unemployed, so alcohol is something that I turn to to pass the time. “It’s always better when we’re together” because I have the most fun when I’m drinking.
I chose an image of my medications to represent my mental health during covid, including my daily prescriptions and vitamins, my as-needed pain pills, and my essential oils and CBD cream. As someone with a few chronic health conditions, I’ve been able to use quarantine and the COVID pandemic to help prioritize my own health, both physically and mentally, which is something I’ve never been particularly good at. Despite having a few mental health low-points during this past year, I am proud of how well I’ve been able to manage everything that has come my way.
Early in the year I bought a Zoom license. This helped me connect with friends and family, and it felt great to stay connected. Golf was a safe outdoor activity with friends, and it felt good to share time in person. The book and instruments represent the joyous time I spent with my grandchildren, who were in our limited family safety pod.
The image of my dog is because we all got to spend more time playing with him since we weren’t at school or work. One of my favorite things to do is to just go for drives, since I was in quarantine in a house with four other individuals, it was time to myself to think and just breathe (represented by the car keys). The deck of cards represent many games we played together as a family since everyone was home and it was just a way for us to spend time face to face rather than playing on our phones. Finally, once able to go back to work (represented by the hat), I was able to spend time with some of my favorite people I work with and to just be there to hear what this pandemic is doing to/for them since I am at school for most of the year.
A trinket from France.
The past year has undeniably been one of the hardest years of my life so far. In early May of last year, I was in a car accident that broke my arm. I still have to use a brace to workout or do physical activity because I’m still suffering from the complications of the accident. The accident also traumatized me and my mental health plummeted as a result. I now have severe stomach issues due to general anxiety about the state of the world and, had to be prescribed stimulants for my ADHD and anti-depressants to deal with the weight of my trauma. I also got my medicinal marijuana license in the last year, and I’ve been using weed in its different forms to help myself heal. My other forms of healing have been found in my partner and all that he’s done for me, including giving me a stuffed egg to sleep with at night when I’m not with him.