I have submitted all the assignments, written all the papers, attended all the classes, participated in all the clubs, and walked in all the graduations of my undergrad career. Has this reality sunk in yet? Nope. Will I be floating in a whirlpool of confusion and self-induced anxiety as I move into my new apartment, start my new job, and be a fully functioning young adult? Well, of course. And though every graduate feels this sort of oh-shitness at this massive transition of their lives, I have no choice but to lean on my tried-and-true philosophy that change is not just inevitable, but it is good and necessary. Every time in my life when I have either chosen or been forced to start anew and enter some great unknown, it has resulted in such positive things in my life every single time. The key to this is nothing revolutionary – it’s simply to try to be open and receptive to anything that’s going to present itself while providing yourself with the comforts of healthy habits you can control. These are my little insights on embracing a new phase of life.
Whether it’s the start of a semester, the start of an internship, or the start of a lease, I have always found these times to be the most optimal for finding a productive routine. I personally get a jolt of philosophical possibilities of who I can be and what I can achieve when I move locations – someone who reads more, cooks more meals that don’t begin frozen or goes on more nature walks. Especially when I am moving into a new place, I like to start fresh with these routines. The biggest piece of advice to achieve this is to think about living for your future self – I am not saying to not live in the present moment, but rather make your choices according to what your future self wants, not necessarily what your present self wants. For example, my present self wants to order pizza and sit on my couch, dividing my attention between the TV and TikTok. However, my future self wants me to cook my own pizza (I’m not getting too crazy, I’d use prerolled dough) and eat it while sitting at my dining table reading my book. Both are me enjoying my downtime with a tasty meal, but I know my future self wants me to have healthy hobbies and interests. She doesn’t give a shit if I want to watch the same episode of New Girl for the 18th time. And so these new beginnings are amazing times to start doing the things you want to do, leaving your old habits with your old life. And these healthy habits are almost guaranteed to give you an amazing source of energy.
With this comes a major caveat, however. I know from my past that these routines and habits feel great to start, but I honestly have a tough time keeping them up. That’s where part two of how to approach big transitions in life comes in – being open to change means that you cannot burn yourself out with undue expectations. Our brains are on overdrive when we are experiencing something brand-new. If you are moving to a new place or starting a new job, your brain will grow tired from the energy it uses to make these transitions even logistically possible. And so you need to understand when maybe your new routine of getting up early is actually doing more harm than good or that getting takeout seems like the perfect dinner plan. And so, while I think healthy habits are amazing to begin during these transitions so that you may really embrace the changes that are occurring, there’s also an aspect of self-forgiveness and leniency that must be practiced during such exhausting times.
I hope for every graduating senior that whatever you have planned next is an exciting, even when nerve-wracking, part of your life. And as I do write this in hopes that another soon-to-be-graduate can find solace or some nugget of wisdom in my last HC article, I honestly write this mostly with myself in mind as I try to remind myself to let go of expectations of what this new phase will look like. Things happen just as they are supposed to. So lean on your routines and your healthy habits, but most importantly, trust yourself. You always make it work.
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