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2022 Was My Worst Year Yet!
And how I’m making it better.
For some, 2022 may have been the best year yet, with possible new experiences and milestones like a new job, engagement, living situation, etc. However, for me, it was not. 2022 was a tough and lonely year. I say all of this not to dull anyone’s sparkle of what 2022 was but to provide context to what was a very intense year.
I want to state that I understand that others experienced more challenging experiences than I did this past year, but this is my perspective and what I’ve learned through my difficulties in 2022.
For context, I am in the thick of grad school, which for the year 2022 became my main focus as I have been trying to accelerate through my counseling masters program at a very fast rate. Along with the overwhelmingness of school, I’ve worked to afford my extremely high bay area rent and have almost isolated myself due to how far my apartment is from friends and loved ones. On top of that, I started my internship in the field, and for anyone who isn’t aware mental health is pretty intense work. All of this and more led to me becoming very depressed, extremely burnt out, and incredibly anxious.
I know a new year doesn’t change anything, but I am so grateful for the start of 2023. In my mind, it feels like a new start and a fresh perspective to try…I don’t know…being happy?
This is my last year of grad school and my last year as a student (until I decide to get a Ph.D.), but I really have a lot of hope this year. I know my situation is the same, but I learned a lot of lessons this last school that I’m going to work on not repeating.
The first thing I’m trying to drill into my brain is progress over perfection. The amount of homework, work, and chores I procrastinated due to perfection caused me so much unnecessary stress. This year we are taking the time to get the work done. If it’s bad, we’ll try better next time. We can’t learn if we don’t start. We also can’t learn if we’re speeding through to complete the assignment “perfectly" because of anxiety. This is a hard habit to beat, but I think this transitions to the next thing very well.
Time management! Yes, in 2023, we are planning out homework times and not just doing it when we feel like it. I noticed that giving myself a specific amount of time to complete an assignment actually made it easier for me to complete it and not think about my perfection. For anyone interested in trying, I usually try to do all the necessary reading first and then put a timer on when completing the actual notes, discussion posts, etc.
Lastly, in 2023 we are giving ourselves grace and room to fuck up and recover. Humans are not robots (sorry, Silicon Valley billionaires). For some, making a mistake can trigger a lot of emotions. In 2023, we aren’t overbooking ourselves. As humans, we need time for self-care and fun. This year I’m making sure to make plans with friends and leave room for needed self-care nights and pampering. At the end of the day, you gotta fill up your cup first!