I got about three hours of sleep last night, and now I’m on my third cup of coffee. I tripped up the stairs running back to my room because I forgot my homework on my desk. I ran outside to go to class and realized too late that it was pouring rain. I have an umbrella, but it’s locked in a friend’s room. So, I booked it to the shuttle stop in hopes that I get there just in time for the bus to arrive. The university shuttle took twenty to thirty minutes, as it usually does despite weather conditions, and so I got to class ten minutes late. So much for the coffee kicking in, I fell asleep in class. My eyes would not stay open, and my brain kept repeating my to-do list of all of the homework and final projects that are due within the upcoming weeks. I don’t know what we talked about in class, I smell like wet clothing, and I am absolutely exhausted but I don’t have time for a nap. Too much to do. Today is just not my day.
I don’t know about you all, but that’s been my entire week. Everything seems to have gone wrong. Whether it was not having an umbrella, forgetting to read an article for class, not staying awake in class, or you cannot focus because you are concerned about a friend — staying positive throughout all that life throws at you seems impossible. Far too often, I find myself in situations where there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Five days out of the week, it seems like the world is against me for one reason or another. All I can focus on is why this is bad, or that is worse, and why I should just give up.
But what about the fact that I survived? What about the part where I got out of bed just to fight the demons that I battled yesterday?
There are so many times where I focus on the negative, and I completely lose track of the positive. Getting out of bed is hard, but I did it. Going to class and paying attention is hard, but I did it. Being human is hard, but damn, WE are doing it. It’s amazing what changing perspectives, changing your mind set, and merely redirecting how you look and think about the simple tasks of the day can drastically improve how you feel.
I’ve had an absolutely dreadful week, but taking a second to recognize the people who have supported me and loved me throughout makes it worth it. It’s hard to refocus your thoughts and to be able to recognize the positives in a situation that seems completely one sided. But allowing yourself to think of the good things is super healthy and beneficial for your overall mental well-being. It takes a while to recognize what is going on, and becoming aware of your thoughts toward a situation is beyond difficult, but at a certain point, the negatives become too much weight to bare. Keep your head up, and hang in there. You have a lot to be thankful for.