I like to consider myself a strong, independent young woman. This took on a whole new meaning when I moved away from home for university. For the first time, I was living in my own apartment, away from all familiarity of home, taking on the world by myself. It seems to be a passage of life that all challenges are coupled with great learning experiences that always remain with you. My moving journey has been fruitful as it has given me great life teachings, which I would be remiss to not share:
- Standing on your own feet
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There is a certain understanding when you grow older that sometimes all you really have is yourself. For me, this meant finding ways to cheer myself up when I was sad or motivating myself to study even if my sleep schedule disagreed, and overall becoming my own personal cheerleader. Consequently, this meant enjoying my own company and being a friend to myself.
- Finding ways to make yourself happy
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I never truly understood the importance of taking time for myself until recently. University brings all kinds of fruitful gifts, including a realization that your mental health should take priority over everything. After all, health is wealth. I have always been an avid reader but recently I have really ramped up the time I spent reading. I find reading does wonders for me: it allows me to forget all about my busy day and delve into the plot of the book. I have also taken up cooking and, although I am only capable of conjuring up a great breakfast, it is a relaxing period of my day that provides me solace as I cook my all-time favourite comfort meals. Find something that both makes you happy and you enjoy doing, it could do wonders!
- Learning to adapt to changing situations
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Living alone, as I have come to know, comes with its fair share of obstacles. I hurt my foot at the beginning of the school year and found that daily tasks became more cumbersome and tedious to do. However, when I changed my mindset from focusing on the negatives and started telling myself that “it will be okay,” I felt a burden lifted from my shoulders. Mindset really is everything. When I gradually adopted a more positive outlook on my situation, I ended up finding strength within myself to carry on.
- To just keep swimming
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This famous quote, from the beloved Disney movie Finding Nemo, holds true to all aspects of life. It serves as a reminder to keep getting up even when life knocks you down.
Although my journey of living by myself has just begun, I guarantee this list will be longer by the end of this year. If there is one takeaway I want you to know, it is this: “this too shall pass.” If you are going through any sort of challenge, no matter how big or small, know that brighter days are ahead.