Hi all! It has been a while since I have posted; I have been incredibly busy recently. Between horse shows, prepping for final exams, getting ready for graduation, and maintaining somewhat of a social life, I have very little free time. Also, admittedly, I do not want to treat this blog as a chore or obligation; I prefer writing when inspiration hits, not to hit a specific number of posts in a specific time frame. Regardless, I’m back!
With all of the business that comes with an honors high school student prepping for graduation comes a large amount of stress. Finalizing college information as well as ensuring high exam scores is as anxiety-inducing in of itself; add that to maintaining an event horse, and you have a perfect storm of a constant catch-up game. This scenario can be malleable to anything; it’s a busy time of year. As someone with anxiety, things that are stressful for the average person can be even worse for myself. I tend to overthink, get caught up in a cycle of perfectionism, and run myself into the ground. As a result, I become mentally and physically exhausted, and truly cannot work to the standard I would like. Recently, I have recognized the extreme importance of having something to look forward to each week. Excitement, even on a small scale, is a powerful emotion; it helps to push me through each task, and gives myself a welcome reward. Every week, or even every day, I try to do something small for myself that gives me something to look forward to. This incentive could be grabbing a coffee before school, getting my nails done, setting time to read a good book on the couch; anything that allows me to breathe. If you are like me, you get too caught up in working for the bigger picture. “If I study for two hours a day, I will pass my exams, and will go to college in the fall.” “If I work a full time job and save, I can buy a car next year.” This way of thinking and work ethic is brilliant to achieve long-term goals, but only ever focusing on the long-term almost always results in burnout. Reward yourself for the effort; give yourself something tangible for the work you are putting in. Providing yourself with little personal incentives not only vitally increases motivation, but also increases happiness. Over the past few weeks, as I have made an effort to take better care of myself, my overall well-being has soared.
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AuthorErin Lassere Archives
March 2021
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