I’m not as busy as I used to be; I don’t have as many club meetings, events, and social activities. I’m living at home and trying to make the best of it. The pandemic has changed my life in major ways. It’s easy to feel like I am missing out and not achieving as much as I did in the past which can feel stressful and upsetting.
Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about my life. It occurred to me that since everything has changed so much, it is important for me to change my thinking a little bit. Last year I was a first year student and all my thinking focused on big accomplishments: getting into school, passing all of my classes, and joining as many organizations as I could. My life was exciting and busy.
Now it’s quieter, which gives me more time to think and look around. This is both good and bad. It’s easy to feel down and focus on the things I’m missing, which doesn’t make me feel any better. It’s easy to feel isolated. To deal with these feelings, I’m trying to shift my thinking, so I can appreciate my life in its current form. Instead of building up big wins, it is important to instead look for little victories. Although it is cliché to say, I’m trying to live in the moment and look for the beauty that is in my life. Sometimes I see beauty in unexpected places.
I’m trying to slow down and listen to my inner voice. If I feel hungry, I take a break and get a snack. If I feel stressed, instead of ignoring it, I try to take a break. My favorite ways to decompress are taking a walk, reading a chapter of a book that isn’t school related, and baking. Even something as simple as scrolling through my phone for fun videos for a few minutes can help take my mind off of things. While this may sound like preachy basic advice, it can be difficult to actually utilize it in the moment when you need it the most.
I’ve found that the beauty that I’m looking for is taking care of myself. I have learned that I just have to find the moments of beauty when they come to me. I am trying to appreciate the gifts that are hidden right in front of me. While I realize that not everyone has the ability to practice traditional means of self care, I encourage you to try to incorporate some little things into your life that promote positivity, growth, and health. Breathing, journaling, and resting are good things for anyone and can help you realize beautiful things that you may not have realized if you hadn’t stopped for a minute to slow down. Remember, life is quick but it is up to us to decide how we want to live it.