I am lucky enough of a person to be able to confidently state that I am genuinely happy with the way I look and the way I take care of myself. Are there things I would change about myself? Yes, but nobody looks in the mirror every morning and thinks to themselves, “Damn, I am just so perfect.” I’ve always known I could hit the gym in my free time more over sticking to my usual bed rotting routine, or I could stick my hair wash days a little closer together. But I also know I am only human, and the lives we see on social media every day of these clean girl influencers living their perfect lives are nothing but a front. I have not always been in this mentality of self-love, and it took me a while to get to this point. However, recently some things have changed for me.
As one does, I got sick this semester. I get sick a lot honestly, so normally I know how to handle myself and everything works out. This time was different. After a full recovery from having Flu A and Flu B at the same time—I consider myself a soldier—I began feeling stiff and tight in my legs and back. This only progressed. It got to the point where I could only leave my bed to go to the bathroom, and even that was a workout for me. It got to the point where I would call my mom at three in the morning sobbing due to the excruciating amount of pain and anxiety I was feeling. I felt so lost and hopeless during this time, especially being so far away from home and going to so many dead end doctor’s visits.
While I ended up leaving Tech to go see a specialist back home, and I am well on my way to being fully recovered, I feel like this sickness was a canon event for me. I am a freshman, so I am still getting acclimated with being super far away from my parents and figuring things out for myself. But I feel like this taught me so many things that I am going to work hard to implement in my day to day life.
First off, I think it is so important to tell the people who are the most important to you how much you love them. While I was sick in bed, my friends came over almost every day to make sure I had everything I needed and make sure I was eating. Being immobilized at college is so tricky because you really do have to walk to access anything essential. My friends made sure I was getting the rest I needed by taking the time out of their days to check up on me, and I am so grateful that I have them to support me through my hard times. I know for a fact that if any of them ever need me in the way I needed them at that time, I will drop everything to help them the best I can. I also know that I need to show so much appreciation for my family. Despite spring break being so close, my mom still took a seven-hour trip down to Virginia to make sure I was okay. She took me to the doctor and helped advocate for me when I wasn’t sure what to do. My friends and family are truly my biggest supporters in life, and I am forever grateful for all their love.
Second off, I know now to truly be kind to my body. I think that we as people in today’s society forget how amazing our bodies truly are, and how important it is to be kind to them since we only get one. I will not stop myself from my sweet treat runs or occasional Cook-Out trays, but when my body is screaming for vegetables instead of another order of Fighting Gobbler wings, I will listen. I’ve recently gotten in the habit of taking multivitamins every day, and something about it makes me feel so much better about myself. I know I also need to go to the gym more often. I feel like I get horrible anxiety about the gym and sometimes I just get plain lazy, but I need to focus on the feeling I get after completing a workout. Not only does my body feel good, but my mind does too.
Finally, it is essential to take advantage of your life. I, in no way shape or form, live a perfect life. But who does? I decided that from now on, before I fall asleep, even if I feel like I have had the worst day of my life, I like to recount something good. Last night, before I fell asleep, I thought about how nice it was to get woken up to my dog snuggling on top of me that morning. I think that there is so much in life that we tend to take for granted, and that thinking about how lucky we really are really makes a difference. I am so lucky to have the opportunities I have, to have the people I love, and to be feeling so much better. Life is so short, yet so beautiful, and appreciating that fact makes such a difference.