Jamie Grant, C’98 GEd’99
Senior Associate Director, Career Services
Being tied to an academic calendar, I’ve always found May to be a uniquely peculiar time.
Outside, flowers and trees are blooming, birds are chirping and humans are making more vitamin D from those extra rays of the sun – which is said to improve mood, alleviate stress, and otherwise support good mental health. Friends may be talking about summer plans and even vacations, and in many instances, joy is almost palpable in the air.
Inside, though, I always found May to be really tough. I was often more stressed and anxious than ever (and did I mention sneezy from allergies?! Achoo!) Exams carried a lot of weight and good grades were validation that I belonged here, right?! My summer plans weren’t necessarily secure…..but it was hard to think past the next few hours during this block of time, spending hours studying and trying to get enough sleep and attempting to be ok ….. and failing miserably.
How can you be your best possible self during what traditionally is a stressful time but that today is only exponentially compounded by what’s happening across our campus, the U.S. and the world? I wish I had all the answers, but I keep coming back to self-care being more important than ever.
If you’re stuck in a difficult loop, here are some ideas. For a visual, take a look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a possible path to getting through times like this. If the linear – hierarchies, pathways, etc. – doesn’t work for you (it never really did for me), think iteratively. In my mind, needs go round and round, every day. There’s no “finish line,” there’s no “just get through this next thing” or to tomorrow or “just get the right internship” and life is set and you can finally take a deep breath. BREATHE NOW.
As someone who values first and foremost the overall wellness of my students and their journeys – truly non-linear, more like building a puzzle than marching along a prescribed path- this extends well beyond career exploration and development. Self-actualization may be the “pinnacle” and it’s a wonderful gift if you can find it in your life’s work – but building a solid foundation of wellness and caring for each and every level of yourself, over and over again, is an imperative every day of your life.
Please – find ways to ease your body, spirit and mind today. Things that really helped me: I had a “walk to finals” song that played on repeat and oddly soothed my overactive nervous system – Zaide; Aria, Ruhe Sanft. I found little ways each day to treat myself – my favorite kind of coffee, eating lunch outside, doing what I now know to be “box breathing” – that got me through those base levels of self-care. I use these methods all the time, even … or especially … now.
How are you taking care of you today? Please, comment and share your methods. Your wellness is the most important priority – only then can we be the best possible version of ourselves, then help others and the world.
