The month of March was the worst month yet in 2020. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) started to take over our lives before we knew it. Whether we were exposed to it or it forced us to stay inside until further notice, it became the storm that rained down on our parade that was 2020.

The storm is still ongoing, some days worse than others. During the first month, I started to let my emotions get the best of me. Not being able to see my family, friends, and boyfriend started to hurt more and more as April came around.

My heart is hurting, but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

I never experienced my anxiety until this pandemic. Being ordered to stay at home until told otherwise has taken its toll on my mental health. For the first time, it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. It was hard to breathe at times.

So, I turned to running.

I used to run in high school, and I was in good shape. College came and I lost sight of that passion. Now that I am home, in grad school and now learning online, I have more downtime.

I decided to start running every morning. Needless to say, it has done wonders. I missed it.

I am on Week 3 of running and the elephant no longer sits on my chest. The rapid heartbeat slowed down. Plus, the constant exercise has made me more tired around the time I go to bed, making sleep a little easier.

Something like a global health pandemic can affect people in many ways. Staying home is now a new normal, but I am still sad that I can't see the people I love. I turn to running to feel better, and I also turn to watching what I eat.

It is important to pay attention to all aspects of your health, especially your physical and mental health. I am now running six days a week and watching what I eat. Although it is super tempting to eat like crap while lounging in pajamas and watching Netflix, that will only make me feel worse.

Running has been my saving grace during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it won't stop once we go back to our old lives. I missed it and will continue to get back to how good I used to feel in high school.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay home. We got this!