Assignment #21 - Wes Davis - (Don't) Stress about it too much

I wouldn't exactly say junior year has been easy for me. Academically I've been doing okay (shut up we don't talk about physics here leave me alone), but aside from that it's been pretty rough. Whilst I am going to refrain from delving into the gritty details of the reality that is my experience and my truth, what I will say is the following: This year (jan. 2019-now) has been the hardest of my life, and a part of me is ready to take some responsibility in finding some helpful remedies to the issue. Whether it be properly managing mental illness or just taking better care of myself, I have lots of room for improvement.

Stress, chronic stress, is something I'd never heard of until this year. However, I sit here now having had a low-grade fever for the past almost month. My research has led me to believe that the root to this anomaly is the constant stress I have yet to get a firm handle on. It's stress that eats away at you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's stress that is 24/7, stress that overwhelms you, stress that makes you feel like you can't breathe at times. Not to toot my own horn, but up until this point I think it's impressive that I've managed to just keep showing up to school and getting the work done, no matter how badly I wanted to stay home or not get it done.

I've read an upwards of a hundred or so articles about self care and taking care of yourself. While I appreciate the now-common discussion of mental health, and quite avidly advocate for it, I feel that self care has become sort of a joke. Just throw on a face mask and relax! Go look at the sunset for an hour or too and vibe out. I can't be the only person looking for less temporary fixes. Most tips I've heard have just been distractions. Now don't get me wrong, distracting yourself is great in times of crisis! I completely understand the benefit. Despite this, some people, like myself, have tried all of these and are now on the hunt for practices that can more permanently soothe whatever they may be troubled with.

I'm not really sure where to go from here. The first step for me was awareness, and that has definitely been acquired. I guess it's best just to continue the search for advice and maybe talk to a professional! If anyone reading this related to anything I've said, you got this. I believe in you. :)