Lately I’ve found myself lagging a bit behind my usual pace. The hours in the day seem to pass by more quickly, as week 6 (six!?) comes to a close. I’ve noticed my mind growing more busy as the days unfold – coursework to finish, friends to catch up with, post-grad plans to square away, clubs to reconnect with…the list seems to accumulate as the weeks pass by. One thing I’ve noticed is that my mind doesn’t quite have the stamina it used to. As we ease back into a world of social connection, I find it difficult to adjust to this change of pace. I think a lot of people have felt a need to make up for lost time, and I worry that I’m starting to pay the price. By the end of most days, I often find myself exhausted, and my mental capacity completely spent. This is sometimes paired with the frustration of knowing that I perhaps should’ve accomplished more that day – should’ve gotten ahead on that assignment, should’ve connected with that friend I’ve been meaning to catch up with, should’ve found a better use for my time. Recently, I’ve made an attempt to give myself a bit more grace. Instead of listing off the things I didn’t accomplish during my busy day, I try to recognize the wonderful progress I’ve made thus far! And on days where I feel like I’m ~barely~ keeping afloat, I try to celebrate the effort it takes to simply show up and go through the motions. If anything, this will be an opportunity to truly listen to my mind, and hear what she is telling me. If there are moments where my mind is completely worn out by the time the day is done, perhaps that’s a sign that I’m moving too quickly, or have too much on my plate. In a way, I’m welcoming a necessary slowness into my life – one that offers me the time and space to collect my thoughts, and prepare myself for the days ahead.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SMCVT chapter.