Staring quarantine in the face

The past three and a half months have been a whirlwind for me. I had a major dip in January, causing a domino effect of chaos! I spent a week in the hospital, and a month in a residential facility, resulting in my two month absence from school. When I came back home, the coronavirus pandemic had really amped up. I had been isolated from school, my family, my friends and living life for about two months and I came back just to be FORCED to be in isolation. I felt like I had just gotten a handle on my life and then it was all robbed from me. I had many days where all I wanted to do was stay in bed, cry and give up. Days started blending together and I felt suffocated in my own home. I fell more behind in school and didn’t want to do anything but stay in bed. My mental health really took a turn for the worst. I felt so upset because I had worked so hard for about two months to feel better and get better, just for it all to fall apart.

I slowly began finding joy in little things. Like starting a new Netflix show, cooking with my mom, working out with a neighbor, going on drives with my sister, planning for college and even starting this blog back up 😉

My mom and I took a trip to Florida to visit my grandpa who had a health problem that needed attention. Being in Florida with him and my mom really made me feel less stir crazy! A change of scenery and being with loved ones really improved my mood.

I suppose I tell you all this because 1) I’m not afraid to share my story, 2) You never know who you can help by sharing what you’ve been through and 3) to show the reality of how mental illness affects people.

I’ve been reading a lot on how important self care is during this time. No, you don’t need to come out of this lockdown with the perfect, golden, six-pack. Just keep up with yourself. Eat some yummy fruit. Change out of those pajamas. Go on a walk in your neighborhood. Things are going to get better so soon! Think how different things were a month ago. School is pretty much out too! Keep your head up and try to enjoy life as much as you can.

All in all, I’m encouraging you not to give up. You may feel like the universe is against you, but I assure you it’s not. Everything happens for a reason. The storm doesn’t last forever and if you’re going through hell.. KEEP GOING!!!

Thank you for reading and I hope you’re all staying healthy and taking care of yourselves!

Enjoying the small things

As the weather starts to get colder and the days get darker earlier, our moods may begin to feel like they’re crumbling. For me, at least, fall and winter are my darkest times and it gets hard to find a reason to keep going.

Something that helps me a whole lot is focusing on the little moments that make things worth it. Like petting a dog or getting ice cream with a friend. It’s helpful to find small things to enjoy.

When life gets tough you have to realize that the bad moments don’t last too long. A bad day doesn’t equal a bad life. There’s a lot of quotes out there that help expand that meaning.

I encourage you to find some small things to enjoy this weekend. Don’t focus on that big project due or that fight with your friend or that math test. Instead, realize there’s more to life and there’s more to you.

Intro

Hi yall! My name is Leah Schreiber!

I decided to start this blog to share my story, reach new people and give insight to something I’m very passionate about- mental health, recovery and your personal journey.

My hope is to post at least every week. I want to share stories, advice, fun quotes and shine a light for the strength that you may not know you already have.

I have a few topics I know I definitely want to talk about, so if they interest you- subscribe!

Topics

• Depression, anxiety, stress and mental disorders
• School and the future
• Therapy
• Recovery
• Friendships and relationships
• Social media
• Body positivity
• Art, music, writing and other coping skills
• Handling the world
• And so much more!

I want this to be a safe space where you can read and relate. if you can relate or if you have questions or if you ever want to talk, my Instagram is @leahkschreiber and you can ALWAYS shoot me a DM.