This Summer Taught Me To Love My Anxious Mind
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

This Summer Taught Me To Love My Anxious Mind

Thank you for being everything I didn't know I needed.

42
This Summer Taught Me To Love My Anxious Mind
Lynnsey Kwaak

As I pack up all my things to move back to college, it seems as if summer is officially coming to a close. It's bittersweet. I am so excited to be back at school but sad to leave behind so many wonderful memories.

But more than anything, I feel empowered.

I feel motivated.

I feel inspired.

This summer really put me through the emotional ringer. If I'm being completely honest, I didn't quite feel like myself for most of the summer. My days weren't very structured, so I spent a lot of time at home doing nothing. It left me a lot of time alone with my mind and that can either go wonderfully or terribly.

A lot of the time, it went terribly. I would worry about everything, stress over the tiniest things and just be lonely. This wasn't out of the ordinary for me. I've always had a tendency to overwork myself or get fixated on things that were out of my control.

But this summer, something changed.

This summer, I chose to focus on the things that I could control.

This summer, I chose to take a break when I felt stressed.

This summer, I reached out to my friends when I felt lonely.

This summer, I made peace with my mind.

Don't get me wrong, I still worry and get stressed and feel lonely sometimes — that's never going to change — but now, I have a better understanding of myself and how I deal with feelings like that. That is the first step.

This summer taught me to take all the thoughts that are racing through my head and express them. I found myself more inspired to create art as a result of this. I found myself more invested in my relationships because of this. I found myself more motivated to take good care of myself because of this.

So, as I prepare myself to go back to school for sophomore year, I want to remind myself to feel how I do right now. I want to embrace the darker moments because they are what make me who I am. I want to love those moments without getting consumed by them. I want to use those moments to fuel my art.

Summer 2019, you were kind to me in ways I was not expecting. You taught me that there is as much strength in solitude as there is in togetherness. You taught me concentration and being present in every moment.

Do not worry about the future because it has not happened yet and do not worry about the past because it already has. Focus on the present because it is happening right now. If you need to take a moment to breathe, do it. If you need to talk to someone, do it.

So I'm thankful for the summer, but most importantly I'm thankful for myself for learning these lessons. Thank you for your unruly mind and your tender heart. Thank you for your creative hand and your adventurous spirit. Thank you for the good and the bad.

And finally, thank you for you.

Report this Content
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

56742
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

36569
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958392
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

189122
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments