I’ve been silent for a while after graduating in 2019. I thought that I would become firm in my values and identity in undergrad, however now that I am 3 years post-graduation, I realize that my growth was only beginning. There are identity structures that fell away, and others that are beginning to take their…
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Dear Recent Grad: It’s OK to Slow Down
I’m a recent grad with a Health Sciences degree who is facing difficulties with slowing down. Does there need to always be something I am working on? Do I need to always be working on all of my projects? Keeping on top of everything? Growing and improving in measurable ways? It feels like my mind…
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Navigating Complicated Emotions During Your Transition to College/University
It’s September, which means that many of you are gearing up to go back to school (ahh! I know! I shouldn’t be mentioning it!!). But some of you may be experiencing a “back to school” that feels very different: your first year in post-secondary studies. Photo by Gades Photography Note: This post contains affiliate links.…
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Social Anxiety and Perfectionism from Early Childhood to University (Social Anxiety in the Classroom: Part 2)
This is the second part of a three part series on social anxiety in the classroom. On Monday (the first part), we discussed the differences between shyness, introversion, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Now that we are clearer on the terminology, I want to share my personal trajectory from early childhood to university.…
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Plan for self-care during midterm/finals season
Dealing with depression and anxiety as an overachieving perfectionist at university is pretty damn horrible. All three elements are interlinked. If one starts rearing its head, the others will very likely join. It is a frustrating experience that I know many of us perfectionists struggling with depression and anxiety share. Even if you are not…
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Poem: A Third-Year’s Soul
As the year comes to a close, it is only natural to look back at the past in order to determine future steps. To be honest, I struggled immensely with the idea of continuing to post on this blog over the past few months. I experienced the longest peaceful spell I’ve had since these struggles…
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Imperfectionism in a perfectionistic society…
One topic that really gets me going is the state of our current educational system. It currently rewards students who follow the rules and guidelines of the system to a T, and does not allow for any freedom to explore true passions. All my life I have felt that I was being pushed forward on…