Graduation season is upon us.
This time is usually full of happiness, relief and endless Instagram pictures. The graduation experience is different for everyone whether you are a graduate or a parent/friend/spouse/etc. of a graduate. For those graduating, this time may mean a bitter-sweet end to a big chapter, a job well done, and a step forward to the next big thing. For others it may be a more daunting experience full of uncertainty, doubt, and “what now’s?”. For me, graduation was a mixture of both. Looking back at these last few years I could not have imagined that I would be where I am at today. If college had taught me anything, it would be these 3 important lessons:
1. Staying healthy is the most rewarding full time job
The health of a college student is often overlooked. Society tends to recognize that succeeding in school often means making intense sacrifices. It’s relatively normal to hear about students spending hours staying up and studying in the library, losing sleep, chugging unhealthy amounts of coffee/energy drinks, and picking up unhealthy eating habits. During my last year of college when I was living off-campus, my unhealthy lifestyle choices really caught up to me and it was physically evident. I remember losing an unhealthy amount of weight that year because of my terrible eating and sleeping habits --- (the broke college student stereotype is very real!!). After moving back home, I was finally was able to get back into a better routine but it took awhile for my body to readjust. Looking back, I could not believe how much I was depriving my body of the necessities. If I had any regrets from my college experience it would be taking my body for granted. Moving on to graduate school in the future, keeping a check on my physical and mental health is one of my biggest priorities. Yes, there are going to be lots of stressful, late nights -- but planning correctly i.e meal-prepping, maintaining a decent sleep schedule, and regularly seeing a (free) school therapist are just a few things at the top of list to make sure that I’m putting my health first.
2. The mind can be a very dark place, remind yourself that you are also the light
Oftentimes, our own minds can be the source of our biggest pains. For a majority of my time at college, my mind was constantly engaged in self-deprecating “self-talk”. At times, I had convinced myself that I was inadequate, that I wasn’t working hard enough in comparison to my peers, that I was disappointing my loved ones, and that I was a failure. According to a two week survey done by Statista on college students in the United States, it was reported that 22.4% of students felt feelings of hopelessness and that 16% of students felt they were so depressed they could not function. Like many students, fighting this voice in my head was a big challenge. Although I was lucky to have the support of very encouraging friends, family, and wellness counselors -- it took me awhile to finally decide to advocate for myself. Moving onto the next chapter, especially when navigating through the real world, it’s easy to fall back into cycles of hopelessness and negative self-talk --- this is a reminder to practice mindfulness, make time for things that you enjoy, practice self-care and to be always be aware of your self-talk.
3. You work best at your own timing but don’t let that be your excuse to procrastinate
I think it’s very easy to get lost in college. As someone who has the tendency to often wander, I could easily say that college was the most frustrating yet influential years of my self-growth journey. It’s very easy to start comparing yourself to other people. Especially with social media--- the pressure to become this super successful, multi-talented, traveling entrepreneur influencer “etc.etc” at a young age can be not only terrifying but extremely unhealthy. Honestly, it took me a while to learn and accept that everyone works best on their own timing. I despise the phrase “everyone has the same 24-hours”; we all live different lives under different circumstances, which certainly affect how we are able spend those 24-hours. Everyone is facing their own battles and whether its financial, mental, or physical struggles -- my 24 hours are mine, and yours are your own. We might be different but that’s perfectly ok. I believe that as long as you remain resilient on your own path, the pace in which you move is insignificant. Comparison after-all is the thief of all joy. It’s time to let go of this inherent need to catch up to others and start doing what is best for ourselves.
The lessons that I’ve learned are not novel ideas but they are good reminders to keep in mind as we all continue to grow and move on to new chapters in our lives. Sometimes life gets so busy we forget the basics of what it takes to keep ourselves happy and healthy.
PS: Make sure to check out Sherin’s article of self-talk titled “Self-Talk: Let’s Talk About It” for more info on how to practice thinking positively!
Cheers to the class of 2019!
With Love,
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