A bit of background before we start!
Hi everyone! I’m Emma, a third-year Zoology student at The University of Aberdeen. This is the first of (hopefully) a long series of articles about how to move through your twenties, university, changes, friendships, and anything that could affect your well-being and mental health.
I’ll write about my life events, worries and fears, and there will be bits of advice from my therapist, lots of metaphors and overly heard motivational quotes that my mum sends me on WhatsApp.
Why Yellow Mondays? ‘Blue Monday’ is publicly acknowledged as the ‘most depressing day of the year’, and as a person who experiences a lot of blue Mondays even during the other days of the week, I thought I could contrast this meaning by using yellow -also my favourite colour, relevant detail- as a symbol of overcoming the sadness or at least focusing on the good side even during such blues.
I would like this to be a safe place for everyone to share their thoughts and worries, feel less alone and chat with a fellow human being when needed. If you have a story and want to share it here (or only with me), you can email it to me at cemma1881@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @stratag_emma. I don’t need your name, I don’t need to know who you are or your past; I just want you to find the support you deserve. My grandma always says “we’re all in the same boat” so no, you don’t have to struggle alone.
Furthermore, if you want external and more professional help:
Aberdeen University Students’ Nightline: listening.response@aberdeen.nightline.ac.uk / 01224 27 28 29
Aberdeen University Student Support: student.support@abdn.ac.uk
NHS mental health Hub: 111
Samaritans Helpline: 116 123
YoungMinds Crisis Messenger: test YM to 85258
Childline: 08001111
Episode 1- Of changes
I’m not too fond of changes. I don’t deal well with them. If there were an online hate account for changes, I’d be the admin running it.
But life clearly doesn’t care about my resentment for changes, as it throws them at me and as much as I try to avoid them, bending and jumping like an Olympic gymnast, sometimes I have to accept that nothing stays the same.
Nevertheless, I often find myself wondering why things can’t actually stay the way they were. I know this is technically an impossible mission to achieve, but I can’t avoid asking myself why.
There was a time earlier this year when I had ‘everything I’ve always wanted’ – a wonderful group of friends, a loving relationship, a supportive family, and my career goals clear and straight. I had balance, which is my personal Holy Grail. Then, everything started to fall, and it felt like trying to keep sand in my hand while it still managed to pass through my fingers (Alexa play Slipping through my fingers by Abba). In my mind, even if not exactly true to reality, I remained empty-handed. But the thing with an empty hand, you can fill it with whatever you want (cit. mum).
It’s sad, obviously, insert metaphor: why would you exchange a perfectly working fridge for a new one that you’re not sure will be spacious enough or with the right temperature for your apple juice not to be too cold or warm? Let me put it this way: you don’t know what would have happened if you’d kept the old fridge. Maybe it would have suddenly broken down and left you with rotting food. Maybe it would have caused a power cut that affected all your electrical appliances. Maybe it would have been fine but simply become obsolete over time, you would have grown tired of it and found a last-minute replacement.
Trust me, I know it’s scary – I’ve had more panic attacks in the last few months than in all my life, but change will happen whether you fear it or not. You may as well use it as an opportunity for growth. Therefore, here’s my answer: things can’t stay the way they were because our environment is continuously moving and evolving. You can stay still and watch everyone and everything around you move on, or you can join the walk.
Have a Yellow week, see you next Monday.