As a recent college graduate, I thought that my life after earning my degree would completely change... it hasn't. Sure, it feels great knowing that I made it through 4 years of college and have a BA in English, but guess what? It's almost September and I still have no employment. I feel very vulnerable saying this because of course, no job means no income, but I also feel the pressure every single day when people ask me what I'm doing, where I work, etc. I could easily get a job at Target or something like that, but I want more for myself. Why did I even go through the painstaking 4 years of college if I'm not even going to use my degree? Having no job means I have a lot of time on my hands. Some days I don't mind sleeping in until noon, but others it makes me feel lazy, useless, and just embarrassed. With my free time, here are some things I do to keep myself busy, and also to keep myself sane while going through the dreaded job process.
Journaling
Journal
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I've always loved journaling. Whether it be writing down my thoughts and plans of the day, expressing my feelings, organizing my days in a planner, or simply writing a short poem, writing has always been my go-to thing. It makes me feel important and free, for I can write for others through platforms such as The Odyssey, and also have the option to keep my own personal diary. Writing down your feelings and anything that is in your mind is an extremely important thing in my eyes. If you can't or don't want to talk to anyone about your thoughts, just write them down. It's not good to keep things bottled up inside. I can't tell you how many planners, notebooks, and journals I have. They have so many color and pattern options that it's impossible for you not to find one that you would be inclined to use.
Self-Care
Bath
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Self-care is important for anyone and everyone, but with more time on your hands means more time for face masks, bubble baths, etc. I take a bubble bath almost every night. It's a time for me to unwind, forget about my troubles, and even meditate. I also love doing face masks; even if they don't do anything for my skin, it's still relaxing and enjoyable. I also try to keep up with my appearance, meaning cleaning and filing my nails, plucking my eyebrows, etc. If you feel good about yourself on the outside, you will feel good on the inside. Of course beauty isn't everything, but doing these things makes me feel confident and happy.
Cleaning
Cleaning
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Keeping my room clean is a must. Sometimes I forget to hang my clothes up, don't do my laundry for weeks, and even leave my trash barrel overflowing, but on the rare occasion that this happens, I spend an entire day tidying up my room. Organizing and cleaning is not a chore for me, but instead relaxing and something I love to do with my time. I know many people feel the complete opposite of this, but having a clean living space is important because I feel as though if your surroundings are all over the place, so are your thoughts and even your life. Having things in their right place will help you keep your life on track. It sounds dramatic, but I feel like it's true. Don't let your room look like a tornado hit it, and if it does, take time to clean it. Put on some music or a podcast in the background and spruce up your place.
Limit Social Media
Social Media
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I'll be honest, I really need to work on this one, but in this day and age, it's nearly impossible to not scroll through Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter at least 20 times a day. When I go on Instagram, I immediately feel self-conscious and unimportant. I see girls with perfect bodies, perfect hair, tanned skin, a bunch of friends, expensive clothes and jewelry, perfect makeup, and I just feel like anything I post won't nearly be as good as what everyone else is posting. I wish I could travel the world and I wish I had a bunch of friends to take cute pictures with, and this makes me just feel horrible. The thing I need to work on is not comparing myself to others. I don't have a perfect life, but neither do these people, and this is something I have to remind myself of. No one posts about their insecurities or bad things that happen to them, so it seems like they're perfect, but they're not, neither am I, no one is. Trying to limit your social media use can really help with your mental health, I know because I've done it before but I lost my self-control and started obsessing over social media again. Something that's been helping me are different apps such as The Secret, meditation apps, and games. If you absolutely need to be on your phone like me, try downloading a few games and play them simultaneously. I've been doing this recently and it's helped with my social media use.
Spending Time With Family
Love Family Laughter
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It may sound cliche, but your family members are your forever friends. I'm so lucky that I have such a big family that I am extremely close with. We always have BBQs, get togethers, and are always at each other's houses. I know I can count on my family for everything. If you're lucky enough to have grandparents like I do, try going over their house or talking to them on the phone. Ask them about what life was like when they were our age and I promise their stories won't be boring. Be grateful that you have so many people who love and care about you. Although most of the time I am constantly doubting myself, putting myself down, and not confident enough in myself and what I have the ability to do, your family knows your worth and you should too.
Hope this helped.
xoxo Elise
