This past month was a tough one. To be completely transparent, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make it to springtime without needing to take a break at home. I think around midterms, life as a college student starts to feel very, very repetitive. We’ve established routines that work with our new academic schedules and these routines just get old.
The rainy weather in Winston was really challenging for me as well. I know my mood is greatly impacted by the weather. I crave the sunshine and it makes me feel so good during the day to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. I’m thankful that it’s officially spring, and that we are rounding the corner of all those rainy weeks here.
I found myself constantly trying to look on the bright side of things this semester. I’ve noticed that it’s really beneficial to try and pick out the individual positives from a whole lot of negatives and cherish them. This month marks one year of the global pandemic. So much uncertainty, so much anxiety, so much pain…for so many of us. Looking back on the past year is a really weird feeling. For me, it feels like it went by really fast but really, really, painfully slow at the same time. I was fortunate enough to receive the first dose of my vaccine a few weeks ago and am planning on getting the second dose next weekend. It is absolutely wild to me how one year ago at this time, I had no way of preparing myself for what was to come and no idea what to expect.
The one constant for me over the past year was looking on the bright side of every situation. I even had some people comment on how they’ve noticed that I have a really positive outlook on the situation that we are going through and that it’s nice to be around positive energy because it is contagious. In the coming weeks, there is so much to look forward to, whether it be the spring flowers that are blooming, Covid-Vaccine distribution for group 4, or springtime clothes starting to come out of our drawers.
One thing that has helped me stay on target for looking at the positive side of things is journaling. Each day, I write out something that I am grateful for or something that made me smile. That way, if I am ever wrapping up a long, hard, stressful day I have a moment to escape those negative thoughts and wrack my brain for something that actually did make me happy on that day. I encourage you to try this strategy, especially as we are turning the corner on the Spring semester. Schoolwork might pick up, routines may feel competitive, we may get homesick…but one thing for certain is that there is always something to be grateful for at the end of each day.