Conan Gives Advice On How To Cope With Post-Pandemic Anxiety | Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan

Okay, so my question is going to be. maybe a bit more serious than your previous questions. That's okay. In previous broadcasts, but the pandemic really, it was a really tough time I'm sure for all of us. And even before the pandemic, I had a really big struggle. with my self-esteem, with my confidence, with my anxiety, and just the pandemic made it even worse. Like now it's really hard for me to cope in open areas. and with people and in really crowded places, especially here in Cairo, every place is really crowded. And I know you've discussed that you've had this issue.

for a really long time. So I really want to know how did you help yourself. or do you have any tips for me that I could? Well, the first thing I would say, and this is a really good question and it doesn't have. to be a funny question, and I'm glad you asked, which is you don't. I think one of the key elements to me for mental health is. to know how many people there are out there are thinking. and feeling the exact way you are. So there's a tendency I sometimes, I think for you to think. everyone else, especially you're in this big, you know,

famously packed city like Cairo and you think. no one else has having these anxieties, and what's wrong with me, when the truth is. many, many, many people are having. the same issues as you. So that's, whenever I think about that, I feel better. I realize that a lot of us have similar wiring. and you're right. I think this pandemic did isolate us. and did make us self-conscious about crowds.

It made us self-conscious about our mortality. It made us self-conscious about a lot of things. and these things, it's right and normal that. that would be heightened, that the anxieties that you had. before the pandemic would be heightened during, you know? I think that's just very normal. I am not clearly a mental health professional (laughing), but I've had a lot of help, a lot of therapy. And I've investigated a lot of different methods. for looking after my mental health.

And I'm a big believer in the first thing that you just did. right now is talk about it, is be open about it. Talk to people about it and you'll find out. that many people are feeling the same way as you, you know, and I think the other thing is to like yourself, because I've talked to you for about 15 minutes. and you're just a lovely person. You're really funny, you're smart, you're accomplished. You're a terrific human being. And so you should just be nice to yourself.

Be nice to yourself and know that when you're feeling. this way, do whatever you can to A, talk about it. with other people that you trust, get whatever help you think you can get, and then second of all, just be nice to yourself. Does that make sense? Yes, yes it does, and that's really helpful, thank you. Yeah, I'm glad you asked me that question. because I do think that we're all in this together really, and it's whatever you're feeling in Cairo,

you're describing exactly how people feel in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Buenos Aires, anywhere else in the world, people are feeling the way you're feeling, a lot of them, and you're clearly a sensitive, nice person, and that's a wonderful way to be, but it means that life can sometimes be. a little tougher for you. So you have to take the good with the bad. I'm glad you're out there being a good person. Thank you. And being a funny person and mostly being a fan.

Mostly. Mostly. Of mine, yeah. I mean, that is the most important, to me, sign of mental health is that (laughing). Oh my gosh. That means I've very stable. [Conan] (laughing) Is that stable?