Dear Peeeeet:

You are very welcome and thank you for your kind words. It is good for me too, to chat with you. Glad you are able to take a walk per day, being out in a nicer weather. Do practice patience, lots of patience. When you feel overwhelmed, or crumbling as you put it, calm yourself down.

Better, calm yourself down before crumbling, as you notice your distress starting to go up. Take a moment break from working every once in a while and check: how is my breathing? If it is shallow, take a deeper, slower inhalation and exhale naturally, do it a few times/ get up from your sit and move around, wash the dishes or whatnot, before you go back to sitting. If distress is high, take a walk, a second walk outside, or a shower.

Regarding your boyfriend- he is distressed too, so every time you feel your own distress, and you want him to calm you down by hugging you and engaging with you in a certain way, think to yourself: he is distressed too, maybe even more than I am. Better I follow his rules and leave him alone. The longer I leave him alone, the faster he will want to engage with me. I can feel whatever I feel, and still behave in the way I want to behave. I am in control of my behavior. I can trust myself to stay in control of what I say and do.

And when your distress goes up again after saying the above (and it will), repeat the above again, or any part of it, like: I am in control of my behavior (you choose the wording).

And post any time you want; remember, I am here with you throughout this pandemic.

anita