So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!

If some of you didn’t understand my Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference, this is me saying "goodbye and thank you." This year has been far from easy, but having you guys to write for has really helped me through it all! Now, before I get all sappy, I wanted to check in. How is everyone doing? This is the beginning of week three of social distancing for me, and each and every day is different. Some days fly by, like when it’s a nice day to go on walks, while other days I struggle to focus and keep a regimented schedule. What I’ve come to realize in the past few weeks is that this is a demanding time. Yes, we’re all at home but unable to continue on with the way life was a few weeks ago, and it is difficult. We were not slowly transitioned into this time: it was thrust upon us and since then we have been trying to acclimatize to it. The reason I’m emphasizing the difficulty of this situation so much is because we need to be kinder to ourselves. I have been trying to live my life without fully acknowledging this shift and it has left me frustrated and distressed. We are not able to do “business as usual,” and our sense of the social construct of “normalcy” has been skewed beyond comprehension. I’ve been trying to keep to the schedule that I set out for myself, and it definitely has been helping me to feel more in control. Waking up at the same time, changing into day clothes, and having specific mealtimes help me feel like time is passing, whereas before, without a schedule, it seemed like I would blink and it’d be 8 pm. What I’ve also come to realize is that it’s okay if my days don't seem “normal.” Being able to show compassion for myself has really helped me during these few weeks. If I begin to get irritable I’ll go on a walk or work out. Speaking of which, I found some awesome free apps! I’ve added a link below, and please feel free to share your favourites in the comments! If I can’t focus on school work, I’ll take a break and try something I can focus on like cooking or drawing. The other night I was supposed to study but for the life of me I wasn’t able to focus. So I decided to be kind to myself and give myself the night off and try again the next day. I played Scribbl.io (which is basically Pictionary but online) with a few of my friends and felt so much better. I know it can be hard to justify doing anything but studying especially during such a stressful time in the semester, but this isn’t like any other semester. We are all navigating through uncharted territory with other priorities such as our health and the health of our loved ones. This is the last time you guys will hear from me and I hope if you’ve taken anything from my journey and my posts this year it’s to be kind and patient to yourselves. Life lives on after university but without patience and listening to ourselves we put a cap on our success, be it in school or in life. Have a safe and kind social distancing! I’m proud of you! Xoxo Chelsea https://www.downdogapp.com/schools (not an official endorsement)