If there was one question that I – and most other seniors – had to face over winter break, it was one of the following:
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“How’s school going?”
“What are you doing after you graduate?”
The last one was my own personal favorite. I don’t even know where I’m going to eat dinner tonight, let alone what my entire life will look like in six months. It’s incredible how seven words can send my brain into instant anxiety mode, making me go from zen to stressful in record time. What am I doing after graduation? Will I have a job? When do I have to start paying back my student loans? Do I have to move back in with my parents? Turns out, I’m not the only person who has these problems. “Jan-xiety” (January + anxiety) is a real thing, or, at least it’s a term on the internet that other people have related to. For whatever reason, January makes everyone go a little crazy.
Maybe it’s the post-holiday depression, or the pressure we put on ourselves to uphold New Years resolutions. For a lot of seniors, it’s the final countdown – your last semester in the safety net that is college. I knew I couldn’t live like this all the way through June, so here’s my tips on cracking your senior crisis and Jan-xiety.
- Get exercise. It may seem like a very typical tip, but it’s true! I joined a boxing gym this week, and I noticed a huge difference right off the bat. If you haven’t found a workout that you like yet, I highly recommend boxing. It’s an amazing stress reliever and a full-body workout.
- Breathe deeply. I’ve had to learn to stop my brain when it starts down a dangerous path. If you’ll let me sound like Yoda for a second – your destiny is inevitable. Whatever is supposed to happen will, and try to remind yourself of that when you start to panic.
- Make a to-do list of things that will help relieve your anxiety. Getting a job after graduation was my biggest stressor. So I started an Excel sheet of all of the companies I want to work for, and I’ve begun tweaking my resume. Take baby steps now that will help you complete your goals in the future! Checking off little things will make you feel great.
You can do it – and trust me, February is only a week away!