Emotional Wellbeing

#1. I may have jumped the gun talking about stress in the physical module. During that particularly extreme situation, I started taking an anti-anxiety prescription to help get me through the rough patch as a short-term aid. It definitely made me look at how much I take my physical and mental health for granted. I also opened up to friends and family more for support. During that time it was impossible to focus on anything that required high concentration and attention. I felt overwhelmed and anxious in a way I had never felt before. I needed to take some time to regroup and re-prioritize as best as I could under the circumstances.
Since then, I try to make more of an effort to talk about what is going on with close friends or family members. Sometimes just the simple act of venting is enough, but it is also great to have someone understand what you’re going through to help better support you whether that be giving you advice or just giving you space to do what you need to do without adding any additional tasks to your list.

#2. I generally don’t think of myself as being pessimistic. Even when I’m stressed I’m sometimes overly optimistic about thinking how easy something will be to accomplish. I tend to think of that prayer “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” If something is making me unhappy, I try to ask myself what I can do to change it. If there’s nothing I can do to change it, I try to think of what I can do to live with it and accept it as best as possible. I don’t just generally allow a lot of negative ideations to build up because it is toxic.

#3. I think one of the keys for allowing myself to be more present and intentional in my everyday decision making and activities would be more sleep and healthier food/exercise habits. I’ve also had to become a lot more deliberate about saying ‘no’ so I don’t take on too much. Unfortunately, that usually means saying no to social opportunities, but it is necessary to allow myself time to rest instead of always putting everyone else first.