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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

As a mental health provider, I meet with individual adults experiencing anxiety and depression. My work has been virtual since the pandemic started. I have a number of colleagues that I meet and talk with regularly. All of us are busier than we have ever been, and are not able to see new clients. We have been able to refer clients we can't see to each other before, and now we can't. As I have reached out to widen my contacts, they are all full too. Over the past week, I have noticed that almost all of the clients I meet with talked about being at their wits end in dealing with the pandemic. People have certainly complained about how it is impacting their lives previously, but not being at their wits end, as I have been hearing recently. Clients with young kids are feeling really cooped up and stressed about trying to care for their kids and work. Older people are feeling lonely and isolated, and everyone is sick of not being able to freely see family and friends, or just go to the movies. It is hard to hold all of this stress and anxiety, particularly when it is hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and when I am feeling it myself. Self-care is really important. I have been emphasizing this for clients and practicing it myself. For me, being outside every day has been crucial to surviving this past year, as well as having regular conversations with people I care about. I think these are the things that are helping me to manage through this difficult time.