 Last year, I reached a low point with my mental health and the pandemic around the fall. It culminated into a series of panic attacks and little desire to get out of bed or into real clothes. The first signs were anxiety-induced headaches and jaw pain. I was clenching my teeth so hard in the middle of the night that I woke up feeling like garbage each morning.
I’m starting to feel those same symptoms again. I’m having vivid dreams about COVID, waking up with tension headaches and aching teeth. I feel an intense dread over the surge in cases and the general state of the pandemic right now. If this is you, too, I’m re-sharing this piece by senior reporter Brittany Wong that she wrote a few weeks ago. She spoke with experts on how to manage your mental health right now, and there’s a lot of excellent coping advice in it.
I don’t have anything profound to say in this moment, but just know that I’m here with you. Be kind to yourself and each other as we navigate this extremely stressful time — a time that was more or less preventable, might I add. Feel your feelings. Talk to your loved ones about getting vaccinated (here’s some advice on doing that). Most importantly, lean on people who can help you feel more at ease right now. It helps.
❤️,
You Oughta Know  A staggering climate report came out today, which noted that humans might not be able to reverse the damage we’ve done to the planet. One of the effects of this is extreme weather events, like wildfires. Reporter Julia Ries broke down how wildfire smoke can affect our health, even if the smoke travels from thousands of miles away.
A Minute And Change Got a spare minute? Use it to change your life. Our “A Minute And Change” series will help you become happier, healthier and more productive by doing one thing a little differently. This week’s tip comes from free solo rock climber Alex Honnold, host of the podcast Climbing Gold, on what he tells himself when he experiences a setback:
One way to be a little more resilient is to not think of things in terms of success and failure all the time. It's definitely healthier to think of your performance in terms of quality of effort and amount learned. Did I try my hardest? Did I learn something new today, no matter how minute? Yes, results do matter at a broad level, but they eventually come if you have the right process. You don't have to be a hero every day. In fact, you almost never get to feel that way, but if you have a good process and stick with it long enough, you eventually experience moments of transcendence. You get those heroic moments.
Crushing On This 'Gram 
Before You Go... Read this piece on what future COVID-19 variants will be like. Reporter Julia Ries spoke with experts on their predictions and what we can do now to prevent another mutation similar to delta.
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