Transitioning from One Chapter to the Next

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Hi everyone!  I took a little break from the blog due to focusing on school and being in 5 classes this past summer semester.  I know what you all are thinking…”Man, that’s a lot of classes!”  Well…yes, it was A LOT.  I am not going to downplay it; it was a lot.  I had meant to take a step back from my Etsy shop, but I kept getting orders in and found myself taking a step back from the blog.  I am very appreciative that I got orders and was still able to be creative.  It felt good to create characters, but I sure did miss my blog and you all!

While I was going through this semester, crocheting orders, going through therapy, and just going through life pretty much, I was finding myself to having a lot on my plate.  It, also, got me thinking about how life is right now with the unknowns, the pandemic, school, work…everything.  I was thinking of the chapters that was about to unfold and the transitions I was about to undergo.  Therefore, I want to talk about transitions today and how it can benefit us to really think about the transitions in between rather than just the chapters.

For instance, right now, I am trying to transfer from the community college to a university where I can finish my bachelor’s degree.  While I am waiting to hear about my admission, I started thinking about how I got to this place.  I mean…I think it is always this way.  Such as, at the beginning of this semester, I was so excited because it was my last semester at the community college.  Then, in the middle of the semester, I started freaking out because I was being bombarded with assignments, tests, papers, etc. from all 5 classes. When, the end of the semester came, I was so worried because I wanted to make good grades and to not fail the finals.

Even though I made it out with good grades, getting on the President’s List, and awaiting graduation approval, I just can’t help but to think about the transition that I am about to make with being a undergrad student at a university.  While I am about to endure this change, there are some things that are certain: my schedule is going to change, my routine will change, my mental/physical health will change, and my jobs will be changing.  While yes, I was a student at a community college, there is a key difference in this scenario.  I will, finally, be taking the teaching courses that I need for my future career as a teacher.

These courses will be a little bit more difficult as they are for my career, but what about this transition from a community college student to a university student is anxiety filled?  Well, this transition is having my anxiety scream…YOU WILL NOT RELAX…YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN…YOU NEED A SCHEDULE…YOU NEED TO DO THIS…YOU NEED TO DO THAT.  It is mind blowing to me that even though I am a mom, who is a student getting her degree, I am still having anxiety about being a university student.  In addition to this, I also believe that my anxiety is screaming because of the transition that my daughter is about to endure with going back to school and it is all online.  Even though my school will be all online, hers will be all online as well.

I am in therapy for my anxiety, but the thought of thinking ahead on the actual chapters rather than focusing on the transitions have my anxiety and my mom senses running wild.  I have always been that person that always thinks about the future rather than being in the present.  However, I do find that if I do these steps, then I can keep myself grounded and, in the present, to focus on the transition:

  1. Take a deep breath.  You will hear this time and time again but taking a deep breath does wonders to your mental health when you are getting stressed.
  2. Think about the present.  I still struggle with this, but once I catch myself thinking too much on the future, I think about what I am doing in the present such as, “Where am I?”, “What am I doing?”, or “Who am I with?”.  This process really keeps you grounded and keeps your mind off the stress and anxiety.
  3. Think about how you will benefit in the transition.  When thinking about this, think about what would help you make the transition less stressful such as meditating more, exercising, playing games, having family time, cooking, etc.  I have researched where it makes transitioning easier if we all take the time out to focus on ourselves or the ones we care about for a little bit.  For example, when I think about the transition from the community college to the university, I focus on the blog or my shop because I can still be in my creative bubble and it also passes the time.  I also exercise every morning and that has really helped me to focus on what I need to do rather than worry.  Another example is helping my daughter transition from summer to online classes.  I am doing this by letting her be on her tablet or watch TV for an hour, then either she does ABC Mouse, I let her pick out an activity that both her and I can do, or we bake or cook something, then she can do her own thing for a while.  This process has also helped her in making the transition to a back to school routine. 

These are the steps that I have learned throughout my therapy that has helped both me and my family with making transitions easier.  I am still very anxious to see what will unfold, I am now thinking about the transition and how I feel about it.  I have been exercising every day, crocheting every day, and typing every day on the blog to keep my mind sharp, grounded, and in the present.  I am hoping that I do get into the university and I hope that I can make the back to school transition easier for my daughter.  But for now, I will focus on the present, have the family time that I could not have in the summer, and work on myself.  I think that is a pretty good fair game…right say?

Well, I know that I rambled on for this piece, but I felt moved to talk about this.  I hope you all are safe and are okay during these unforeseen times.  I am thanking each one of you for coming to read what I have to say.  I hope you all have a great week and I will see you in the next post!

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Featured In: Personal | August 18, 2020
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