New chapters can be extremely exciting, but they can also be anxiety provoking and scary. My experience with graduating was the biggest new chapter that I’ve ever had and it was definitely a process getting to where I am today. The bad – Thinking back to the few months before graduation I would dread people asking me, “are you so excited for graduation?” or “what are you going to do after graduation?” The first question isn’t so bad because I could answer with a simple, “Yes I am.” But the second question…. (if you’re reading this please don’t ever ask someone this) literally made my blood boil. I know I know, people just want to be supportive and are curious. But, for me this was bad because:
- I had NO idea what I was going to do after graduation – and this thought already consumed me and I didn’t want to think about it anymore, let alone talk about it. *ensue anxiety attack
- My days were filled with: working at my job so I could make ends meet, finishing my courses and finals so I could ACTUALLY graduate, keeping in contact with my family thousands of miles away, figuring out where I was going to live since my lease was about to be up, applying to jobs anywhere and everywhere (thinking about having to start over in a new city or state is also stressful in itself) – also cover letters take forever to write when you do it correctly, dealing with a breakup and also trying to maintain a social life while all of my friends are turning the big 21.
Dealing with the stress of this new huge chapter in my life was hard but now three months later I can officially say I think I made it through unscathed. Here’s what helped me get through this time and hopefully it can help you:
- Find a support system and use them. I was so lucky to have family, friends, coworkers and an amazing mentor to help encourage and guide me into the next phase of my life.
- Relax. I am typically a high stress person and I even work better that way. But I’ve also learned that making time every day for relaxation has been the best thing for me. I took up Yoga and it has proven to be the greatest gift I’ve ever given myself.
- Take some pressure off of yourself. I had super outrageous expectations of what my life should look like .01 seconds after graduation. Know that things may not come together right away and that’s probably for the best. You don’t have to have a job lined up for right after graduation. What’s meant to be will come to you at the right time, trust. Patience is a virtue.
- Know you aren’t stuck. Making these huge life decisions can seem really daunting. I thought that I had to find the perfect job right away after college because I’d be stuck there. Thanks to my support system I learned that it’s okay to try something and not like it. I could pick up and go somewhere else or just apply and search for a new job. Nothing is forever – don’t be afraid to make a “wrong” decision.
The good – This time is so exciting! Although I still feel really stressed sometimes, I have my whole life ahead of me and I’m in charge. This thought is so empowering and encouraging – I get to decide who I want to be and associate with, where I want to go, what I want to do and how I do it. I decided that I need to sit down and come up with some short- and long-term goals for this next chapter of my life. I love to be organized and goal oriented and I find that if I just let the days pass with no type of plan, nothing happens. So, here are only a few of them to keep me accountable:
- Find an organization to volunteer at – with a mission that I’m passionate about
- Take a dance class
- Get my Zumba instructor certification
- Pay for someone’s food in the drive thru
There are so many good things to come and I feel so blessed. Connect with me on social media, I’d love to share in our experiences together!