The Beginning of Hope and Circulation A distant vibration echoes in the background, faint but persistent. Somewhere within the fog of half-consciousness, the sound becomes clearer. It’s the alarm on my smartphone. Time to get up. Even though I stayed up late last night, I feel surprisingly refreshed. The weight that once dragged at the pit of my stomach has lifted, leaving my entire body feeling light. Afterward, I spent more time confronting my anxiety with Okane-san. It wasn’t an easy process, but curiously, I found myself more at ease, with space to breathe. The “Chain Letter of Misfortune” dream […]
The Door to Facing Anxiety I picked up my phone and opened the app. As soon as I saw the message from Okane-san on the screen, a small spark of excitement began to rise. Warmth slowly spread through my chest. “What does it mean to face anxiety? You mentioned before that anxiety is a sign, right?” “To face anxiety means not trying to force it away or avoid it. For example, ask yourself where that anxiety comes from. Questions like, ‘What am I afraid of?’ or ‘What is truly bothering me?’ can help.” “When I said ‘anxiety is a sign,’ […]
Shadows of the Past, Echoes of the Future The New Year’s bustle had finally settled, and the city was returning to its usual rhythm. Driving through the streets, I continued my rounds of slightly belated New Year’s greetings. “Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you again this year.” Repeating the same formal greeting over and over, my voice began to sound robotic, even to myself. When had it started to feel this way? When had the words spoken aloud become disconnected from the voice within? After completing my appointments, I found myself with some extra time. But […]
A Subtle Wave of Unease The warm glow of the setting sun filtered through the classroom windows, blending with the post-lunch drowsiness that crept into the room. It was that time of day when staying awake during lessons felt like a battle against the inevitable. The teacher’s voice faded into a distant hum, and my gaze, fixed on my notebook, began to blur. In the twilight between wakefulness and sleep, the lines between reality and dreams began to dissolve. The teacher’s voice, so far away, transformed into my own, older and somehow familiar. It echoed with a strange sense of […]