I can’t believe we’re already starting another year; this summer flew by. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about time and energy, how different points throughout our lives and even different points throughout the year require different energy from us. I feel like there’s this consensus that summertime is a very slow, calming, less demanding time. It’s easy to look at the fall time and think of it as a time of stress, the dog days are over. I am challenging that idea as we begin school this week and I encourage you to do the same. I’ve found myself ruminating on the impending stress I’ll feel or even just the general anxiety of getting back into the classroom after not being in it for quite some time. When I find myself doing this I ask myself: What am I looking forward to? What are the possibilities for me this semester academically? What are things I can do for myself that will support my mental health? How can I incorporate more fun into my life in between the demands of school/work/any other activities?
Usually what I’ll do from this is write out a few answers to these questions and it really does make me feel better. It reframes my outlook on this semester and makes me feel a lot more excited about the possibilities for this time. Reframing doesn’t mean that you can’t see the negative in a situation or that you’re blind to it. It just means that you’re choosing to focus on the positive because you recognize that ruminating on something that is inevitable or negative won’t benefit you in any way or change the outcome. I hope you all choose to reframe your idea of what this semester could look like for you because thoughts are truly powerful.
Yours Truly,
CiCi