Wellness catharsis

People always say weekends are for rest—but rarely have I felt a weekend for rest, as I'd always have something on my schedule/agenda to do. Last weekend, however, I set nothing. With schoolwork being an on and off switch (as in most work tends to fall on every other week, together), this weekend was an "off switch". As college applications have also come to a close, there really wasn't anything urgent that preoccupied me.

The past few weeks I'd been stressed for some random reason and have had several cathartic moments of just letting my emotions and feelings spill. Having this weekend completely off was a new epiphanic moment for me, not knowing that great feelings can happen with "wellness"! I never really understood this "group mentality" high-achieving students had or this standard we unconsciously set ourselves to until some of my friends brought it to light both in the restorative circle and in FaceTimes. It was so true, though—things we'd feel but never address. And with the nature of my weekend, it occurred to me that not all time has to be spent doing something "productive" (productivity is subjective anyway). 

Only recently did I truly acknowledge "mental health," and I'm glad that the school is starting to as well. To delve a little back into my weekend, I had the chance to go downtown, meet college classmates online, play card/video games with friends and family, dress up and take some senior photos, and savor delicious baked quiches (sadly, no waffles this time). Sounds like a lot - but I suppose my takeaway is that having lots of enjoyable things to do puts me back in the groove like the pre-pandemic life. It's for sure the "flow" of uninterrupted time that Adam Grant discussed in the languishing NYT article. As someone who has been feeling "bleh" quite a lot, this quote spoke to me specifically:

We can find solace in experiences that capture our full attention.

Like most, the main topic on my mind right now is the college transition. Watching my junior friends select their classes for next year (aka my favorite time of the year), I look forward to college orientation and picking classes again—especially in a catalog with thousands of classes!