This article was written as a response to the New York Times article “Four Lessons From Your Anxious Brain.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was a busy girl. I worked hard in my classes and participated in many extracurriculars. In March 2020, when normal life came to a halt, I was devastated. I felt as if I had no purpose. After reading this article, I realized that I had used the four steps outlined in the article in order to deal with anxiety throughout the pandemic.

1. I started by building my distress tolerance. I had to accept things as they were and the fact that I didn’t know what was next.

2. I identified my best pandemic habits. Life had slowed down during the pandemic, which I didn’t like at first, but with fewer external demands, I found more free time to do things that I wanted to do. I have spent more time than ever in nature this past year and a half.

3. I strengthened my connections with others. Before the pandemic, my social life was minimal once I set foot outside the building, so I relied on the fact that I would talk to others every day at school. This clearly didn’t work out once school shut down. I needed to reach out to more people. Even though the pandemic was isolating, I find myself more social than ever.

4. Finally, I identified my own needs. I wanted to meet more people and learn a new skill, so I picked up a new sport.

This year, life has somewhat returned to “normal.” Shockingly, I enjoyed the slower pace. I plan to keep some of my habits from the pandemic. I’m still a busy girl, but now, I’m in control of my life.