Short answer? I don’t. Most of the time, I push down my feelings and let it fester, until it gets worse and then I snap. But I’ve come to realize that this is super bad for my mental health! It is not healthy at all. The way that I started to deal with it was getting really bad, so I came up with tips and tricks to diffuse the situation.
- Walk away from the person or situation
Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to simply walk away from the person or people that is causing you “pain”. It’s hard, because I’ve had to do it, but in the end, it is totally worth it. Your mental health and sanity are so much more important than that of the other person Sacrificing your sanity for the sake of making the other person happy, don’t do it. I tried for a long time, and then I gave up.
- Surround yourself with people who support you
Once you’ve walked away from the people that aren’t supportive, surround yourself with the people who support you. Who lift you up and encourage you. That give you positive words of encouragement. Most of my friends and the people that I’ve met in college have done that for me. They’ll listen to me when I “vent” about the day I’ve had; sometimes even offer encouragement when they know I’ve had a rough day. The people that you surround yourself with, make all the difference.
- Explain yourself
This is the last thing that I want to do, but if you hold your ground, they might come around. In my case, my parents, and the community around me used to ask me all the time: “why? Why a teacher, not a lawyer, doctor, or engineer?” And I would tell them: “Because when I graduate, I will be doing what I love. And to me (and you) that should be all that matters.” If they care about you and want to see you succeed, they will get over the way that they feel about your career choice and support you no matter what.
To people reading this, I believe that you can do this. You chose this path because it brings you one step closer to your goal. No matter the obstacle, you are a strong-willed person that can get through anything. You made it this far, I believe that you made it for a reason.
Whatever the backlash, just know that you are amazing and strong-willed and you will do so much with your degree. You don’t know it yet, but you have the capability to change the freaking world. Keep going, you got this. As Harriet Beecher Stowe, a famous abolitionist, and author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin once said, “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems that you can’t hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn”.
Don’t stop now,
You got this.