Harriette Cole: I stayed in bed for two years, and now I feel stuck

DEAR HARRIETTE: I turn 25 next year. I feel that I lost years 23 and 24 to the pandemic.

As I transition into my mid-20s, I realize that I have no desire to get any older. The thought of getting older actually scares me more than it should because it’s so inevitable.

It’s not that I want to take my life or anything. It’s more that I have been stuck, like my life was on pause all this time.

I don’t really know what to do or how to move forward. I stayed in my bed for nearly two years. Every time I go outside, I get anxious. How do I get over this fear?

Scared of Aging

DEAR SCARED OF AGING: You can experience devastating side effects from being cooped up for so long.

Getting older is a part of life. While it can seem daunting, especially after such a long period of being isolated, you can also attempt to adopt a different perspective.

For starters, turning 25 can be a wonderful experience. It is a turning-point age — you begin to feel more like an adult, and you probably have more responsibilities than in the past. You should also have some perspective on what you like about your life and what you might want to change. You can choose to look at the possibilities ahead of you rather than the perils that await.