36. Anxiety, Doubting the Future, Fearing Death + Reminder of Hope with Janelle Lynnae

Next Level Confident

How are you really doing?

COVID-19 has left an impact and continues to impact us all. It might leave you doubting the future. Maybe you've noticed a heightened fear of death. During these times it's so important to unpack and challenge our limiting beliefs.

While online meetings, homeschooling, and wearing masks have started becoming a norm, the stress and anxiety from the pandemic don't have to be. COVID-19 has shown up swinging hard when it comes to mental health. The mental and emotional toll is not one anyone could have predicted, but there are many resources (linked below!) that are here to help.

"You are not alone."

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation Poll, nearly half of Americans agree that the coronavirus has hurt their mental health. Emotional distress hotlines have had an exponential increase in usage as well. You can read more about the mental health crisis COVID-19 has created on The Washington Post.

In a time where hope seems futile, it is so important that as a whole, we offer hope to one another.

This may seem like a difficult task, especially when you're struggling with hope yourself, but giving hope doesn't need to be a huge act. I challenge you smile. Smile at the people you see when you're on a walk. Smile at the people you connect with online. And smile at yourself when you pass by a mirror. Just this small act can bring so much brightness into people's (including your own) lives.

"You were not created on accident."

If you can, I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. I want you to think back to a time where nothing made sense in your life, one of the hardest times in your life. Do you have that memory in your mind? Think about how hopeless you felt at the time.

Allow yourself to reflect on your life during this time. Trust that life will resume as normal, and use this time as best you can to think about what you can create, or what your dream life would look like.

Steve Jobs says “you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.” Watch the entirety of Steve Jobs speech here!

"You were born with a purpose."

Never be afraid to reach out for support.

• Suicide Hotline: [phone]
• Immediate Medical Assistance: 911
• Crisis Call Center: 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863
• Crisis Text Line (U.S. only): Text HELLO to 741741

Go here for a full list of crisis resources

I am always available and would love to connect with you guys. Whether it's to celebrate, mourn, or anything in between. I am here for each and everyone of you. The quickest way to contact me is through my email: [e-mail]