Anonomous CYC member, 17

My past two years have been monopolised by this relentless drive inside, uninfluenced by anyone but me, to achieve. Going into year 12, I often found myself swaying on my feet, drunk on tiredness. Many hours spent sobbing to a counsellor lead me to realise, painfully obvious, that I was too busy. Upon reflection, I think having being used to pushing all hours meant I never really gained the intended free time to step back by dropping a few activities off my list. Instead, I obsessed about my sport and landed heavily with a tendon injury in my hand. Dismissing my injury and persisting to climb only lead it to spread.

Eventually, I found myself in excruciating pain, black and blue knuckled, and was signed off climbing by the doctor for two months. Upon reading, I found out the condition was called ‘climber’s finger’ and was an ‘overuse injury, defined as injuries that result from a mechanism of repetitive and cumulative micro-trauma, without a specific onset incident.’ I’d found my breaking point. This injury was physical but the same premise applies mentally. The point of exhaustion is measured differently between us: some of us can run 16 km and be as exhausted as someone who runs 2km. It might seem that this is down to our own fitness, our ability to train, resilience but I believe, it’s rather due to our circumstances. The individual running a 2km could have been running through a tornado while the 16km runner could have been aided by super shoes and professional coaching. Nevertheless, no matter the cause, we all experience exhaustion and often don’t realise we have until far beyond that point.

This lockdown has forced me to sit down and be still for once. My friends still tease me that I keep my day busier than they do without the lockdown but I’ve experienced an unprecedented miracle during this time too… I finally sat through a whole film. Fight Club had me in a zombie-like state for its entirety. If you’re looking for recommendations, I highly endorse it. I’m not suggesting this situation we’ve all been thrown into is a beach, minus the beach holiday but I don’t think this time should be received as a burden on our brimming schedules. I’ll never be able to spend the whole day in bed and so I continue to keep active with schoolwork, guitar practise and a daily exercise but for the first time in a while, I’m enjoying allowing myself a lie in.

I challenge you to try something that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time to do.

Fe fyddaf i bron bob tro’n gwrthod gwylio ffilmiau.

Aelod anhysbys CIC, 17

Mae’r ddwy flynedd diwethaf wedi cael eu meddiannu gan yr ysfa yma i lwyddo, heb ddylanwad unrhyw un ond f’un i arni. Wrth fynd i flwyddyn 12, ces i fy hun yn aml yn siglo ar fy nhraed, yn feddw gan flinder. Wedi oriau yn crio wrth gwnselydd, des i i ddeall ei bod hi’n boenus o amlwg, fy mod i’n rhy brysur. Ar ôl ystyried, ‘dw i’n meddwl gan fy mod i wedi arfer bod yn brysur bob awr roedd gen i, ches i erioed yr amser rhydd byddwn i’n bwriadu ei gael i gamu yn ôl a gollwng ambell weithgaredd oddi ar fy rhestr. Yn hytrach na hynny, daeth fy chwaraeon yn obsesiwn a ches i anaf yng ngewyn y llaw. Gwaethygu wnaeth e achos fy mod i wedi ei anwybyddu a dal ati i ddringo.

Yn y pen draw, roeddwn i mewn poen annioddefol, roedd fy migyrnau i’n ddu a glas a dywedodd y meddyg wrtha i am beidio â dringo am ddeufis. Wedi darllen rhywfaint, dysgais mai ‘bys y dringwr’ oedd y cyflwr hwn, sef ‘anaf gorddefnyddio, a ddiffinnir fel anaf sy’n dod o ganlyniad i fecanwaith o drawma micro ailadroddus a chronnus heb unrhyw un digwyddiad penodol yn ei gychwyn.’ Dyma fi wedi cyrraedd pen fy nhennyn, corfforol oedd yr anaf hwn ond mae’r syniad yr un mor berthnasol yn feddyliol. Mae pwynt ymlâdd yn wahanol gan bawb: gall rhai ohonom redeg 16 km a blino cymaint â rhywun sy’n rhedeg 2 km. Gall ymddangos mai ein ffitrwydd, ein gallu i hyfforddi, ein gwytnwch sy’n llywio hyn ond ’dw i’n meddwl mai ein hamgylchiadau sydd yn dylanwadu fwyaf. Gallai’r person sy’n rhedeg 2km fod wedi bod yn rhedeg drwy dornado a gallai’r un sy’n rhedwr 16km fod wedi cael ei gynorthwyo gan esgidiau arbennig a hyfforddiant proffesiynol. Serch hynny; waeth beth yw’r achos, rydyn ni i gyd yn gorflino weithiau, ac yn aml dydyn ni ddim yn sylweddoli hynny nes ein bod ymhell heibio’r pwynt hwnnw.

Mae’r cyfnod cloi wedi fy ngorfodi i eistedd a bod yn llonydd am unwaith. Mae fy ffrindiau i’n dal i dynnu arna i yn dweud ‘mod i’n cadw fy niwrnod yn brysurach na nhw hyd yn oed pan na fydd cloi, ond ‘dw i wedi profi gwyrth ddigynsail yn ystod y cyfnod yma hefyd… Eisteddais i a gwylio ffilm gyfan. Bues i’n eistedd fel delw drwy gydol Fight Club. Os ydych chi’n chwilio am argymhellion, dyma i chi stamp cymeradwyaeth gen i arni! Dydw i ddim yn awgrymu mai rhyw fath o wyliau heb y glan môr ydy’r cyfnod hwn, ond dydw i ddim chwaith yn credu y dylai’r cyfnod fod yn faich ychwanegol ar y pwysau sydd eisoes arnom. Fydda i byth yn gallu treulio’r diwrnod cyfan yn y gwely ac felly rwy’n parhau i gadw’n weithgar gyda gwaith ysgol, ymarfer gitâr ac ymarfer corff bob dydd ond am y tro cyntaf ers hydoedd, ‘dw i’n mwynhau gadael i fy hun gysgu’n hwyr. ‘Dw i’n gosod her i chi roi cynnig ar rywbeth rydych chi wastad wedi bod eisiau ei wneud ond erioed wedi cael yr amser i’w wneud.