Imagine you’re walking down a path, and suddenly you start imagining monsters lurking in the shadows. At first, it’s harmless, just a little game your mind plays. But then, without realising it, you start believing those monsters are real. You become so consumed by your imagined dangers that you forget to look where you’re going. That’s what happened to me.

During the COVID lockdown, with all the fear and uncertainty swirling around, I started creating elaborate scenarios in my head. It was like a coping mechanism, a way to prepare for the worst. But as time went on, those scenarios became my reality. I started living in a world of my own making, where every imagined threat felt imminent and urgent. The problem with this kind of thinking is that it’s a slippery slope. What starts as a harmless distraction can quickly spiral out of control. Before I knew it, I was neglecting real-life problems and responsibilities because I was too busy dealing with imaginary ones.

It’s like trying to fight a battle that doesn’t exist while the real enemy sneaks up behind you. And the longer you ignore reality, the harder it becomes to face it. But I’ve learned that there’s a way out of this cycle. It starts with recognising that the monsters in my head are just that—figments of my imagination. They may feel real, but they’re not. And once I can see them for what they are, I can start to let go of them.

It’s not easy, and it takes time. But little by little, I’m learning to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. And as I do, I’m finding that the world outside my head is not as scary as I once thought.