Well, folks, we made it. The final push of the semester, where the light at the end of the tunnel is finally in sight. We can sit here and gripe about how miserable, exhausted, and unshowered we are (wait–you’ve still been showering regularly? Yeah, of course, me too…). Or, we can choose to REFRAME our experience to reflect just how amazing it is that we are at a great university, earning Master’s degrees in an important and exciting field, and have access to education without fear of persecution (do I sound like a social worker yet?).
It’s easy to lose focus of our privilege when we are sleep deprived and feel spread much too thin. Between field placement, family obligations, paper-writing, and exams, it can be difficult to squeeze in time for self-care. However, it can be helpful to put things in perspective. The world is on fire right now, and it feels pretty darn lucky to think that if our most harrowing task at this moment is remembering the difference between Acute Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder, we have much to be grateful for.
Of course, this isn’t to say that feeling stressed during finals isn’t a perfectly appropriate response to the situation that we are in. But, you might find a helpful strategy for remaining calm is taking a few moments of each day to express gratitude. It’s easy to let stress get the best of us, but remember that it will soon end. Try not to procrastinate too much, take a few deep breaths, and remember all that you have to be grateful for. The computer in front of you, the textbooks beside you, and that bottle of wine on the counter. Smile–life is good.Ok, enough Pollyanna for today–pour yourself a glass of wine and get to work! ?
Samantha Muzzulin GSS Class of 2016
