We are taught growing up that the stages of education are basically this:
1) Birth
2) Pre-school
3) Public-School
4) High-school
5) Post-secondary: College or University
6) Adulthood/ the rest of your happy life.
But hey, let's back up for a moment! I have entered a part of my life that has altered this 'perfect' timeline and made me question whether we have missed a crucial step in our development. As we step forth and begin on our life's journey, we strive to be the best we can be. We usually forget to leave wiggle room for the inevitable failures/curveballs that shape who we are and where our futures are heading.
So what am I going on about? I am talking about the stages in our lives that we all must face: The in-between moments that occur when we change a daily ritual, like school or a job, and have to change how we live. It disrupts our mental balance and leaves us to cope with this sudden change.
I have just graduated from college, and the unnerving, unsure, drowning feeling has been creeping in. Now that I have a few weeks of free time, I had planned on treating it as a vacation; a graduation present to myself to catch up on sleep and rest my mind. However, this hasn't been as easy as flipping a light switch! When I wake up in the morning, I can't seem to sleep in because I'm used to my early morning alarm. My mind is wrestling with me to do something, and I can't sit and relax my thoughts. I decided to talk to some of my colleagues who have also graduated to see if they were experiencing the same phenomenon. I was interested to find that I wasn't alone. Many of my friends have even had anxiety/ panic attacks flare up out of nowhere, with no usual triggers.
So what is going on here? From my understandings, I have come to some conclusions.
((The thoughts being expressed do not reflect the analyses of mental health professionals or doctors, and should not be taken as studied facts.))
Whiplash- With all of the running around and late nights finishing projects at 3:00 am, the sudden stop of frantic endeavors will leave you with mental whiplash! Suddenly everything comes to a stop. Without the chance to wind down and come to a slow, our minds are trying to maintain the frenzy in which is has been operating.
Blank Calander- 9 am meeting here, 8 am exams all week long, report due over there... oh! I have nothing to do! When I flipped my calendar from April to May my screen went from a neatly organized, colourful collage to a blank page. I had an overwhelming feeling that I had to be doing something. I found myself scheduling things like, "don't forget to call mom at 3:00" or turning on my birthday alert setting, (which I had turned off to save room), so that I had something to review each week! Crazy, right?
Solutions?
What I found best was to keep myself busy. I knew that I needed rest, so I distracted myself with simple tasks such as knitting, reading, organizing, etc. These relaxing activities gave my brain something to focus on and calm those buzzing thoughts down.
I also started drawing again. My college program was such a creatively driven course; I wanted to keep on pushing my designs. I was able to exercise my brain while not being pressured with due dates or project guidelines.
Next on my 'Back To Zen Checklist' was going to start the hunt for a job. Starting out with a part-time job would get my schedule structure back. Having this in place would organize my thoughts because I would have to start planning my time again. Instead of staying up late watching Netflix and sleeping in as long as I could, I was going to get back on a more regular agenda.
Meditation, exercise, and proper eating. These three keys are what will get anyone feeling healthier and will get rid of that terrible post-grad melancholy. Suitable activity will help get those endorphins pumping and will get you feeling happier than simply sitting around the house. At first, I hated the idea of any working out and demanded more sleep. When I pushed myself to start my routines again, I found that I slept better and had more energy in the day! If you are unable to practice strenuous exercise due to arthritis or any other factors, then I recommend meditation as a comfortable alternative. Don't forget to eat fresh produce and stay away from anything boxed or canned! Keeping a healthy diet will boost your energy and decrease sluggishness within your body!
