All posts filed under: Mental Health

012. Sorry, I just couldn’t shake this off.

Published by Layla

Trigger warning: suicide. A few weeks ago, my work friends and I encountered huge traffic on our way home, which was an understatement. We checked in on Waze, to see what was going on. And we found out that someone committed suicide somewhere near where we live. It made me think about a lot of things. First off, about the person who committed suicide. Of course, I don’t know him or her, but I can only imagine how he must have felt like. That he or she is already in a dark place, and of course, the pandemic didn’t make things better. But I uttered a short, silent prayer that God will take care of that person, and make sure that he or she will be okay.

002. I’ve been sick, and it’s not cute: reflections while in the sickbed and others in between

Published by Layla

  Well, hello there. Been pretty ill, and it was not exactly a great sensation. Returning to work felt like having a pair of jelly legs: just feeling wobbly overall. There are times that it felt like my body was in one place and my mind in another. But despite that, I am grateful for the end of each work day, as I get to tick one box for every task accomplished. I have been feeling on edge about something I couldn’t explain, but I am slowly working out through the kinks. Since I have been ill for the most part of the first week of the new year, I have not been able to restart myself where health  (mental and physical) is concerned. Hopefully, I can establish some sort of rhythm: one that’s not so rigid, one that’s a little more forgiving. During my four-day convalescence (I speak as though I am some Victorian maiden wasting away on some mysterious disease), I was able to reflect though. About who I am as a person, …

I’m depressed, employed, and I go to grad school: How I (try to) make it work

Published by Layla

NB: This blog post waited for a long time to be written. I wanted to see how well I would do in my first semester of graduate school. Admittedly, I expected to fail. But through hard work and loads of perseverance, and with loads of familial support, I did better than I expected. This entry is inspired by a Girlboss article I read over two years ago; it has helped me become a productive employee and student.  I have decided to put my own spin with regard to the aforementioned article, and at the same time, I would still like to integrate it to the things I have learned from it. I also suggest that the reader take the time to read the original article first before reading this one. More than three years ago, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It was, in some odd way, a relief that I had that closure. Since I was a teenager (and probably as far as my childhood), I knew that there was something wrong with me; …