Four Lessons From Your Anxious Brain Pandemic life has saddled us with lots of conflicting emotions. Here’s how to cope with feelings of uncertainty and make a fresh start. Credit...Nathalie Lees Feeling unsettled? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Welcome to the summer of 2021. I asked thousands of New York Times readers of all ages to share how they’re feeling right now. The most common answers revealed the mixed feelings of the past 14 months: unsettled, anxious, overwhelmed, frazzled, tired, hopeful, optimistic, stressful, exhausted, excited. Some readers said just one word was not enough to describe how they’re feeling. “Bored, anxious, hopeful — all at once. Is there a word for that?” asked one reader.