What’s Next After Graduation?

I recently graduated from my nursing program, and I am so excited! It has been a long journey, and I now find myself with a lot more time on my hands. I’m figuring out how to take care of myself in this time of big change. My current Big Life Things are:

1. Moving into a new apartment. Finding housing is a big stressor in my life, and once I found my apartment, *surprise* some stressors still exist! I am happy to have my place and excited for my friend to move in soon. However, moving things is difficult, I’ve been spending a lot of money on cleaning materials and food, and I don’t have much furniture. Despite the challenges, I am grateful to have a space to call my own, and that is a blessing in itself.
2. Applying for jobs. Spooky. Good thing hospitals are hiring nurses, because I know that there are jobs out there if I don’t get my dream job (that I am interviewing for this week). Interviews can be very nerve-wracking, so I am going to spend a good amount of time preparing for mine.
3. Working on my mental health. Now that I ended school, I don’t have access to the counseling services that my university offered. I said goodbye to my therapist, who I really enjoyed talking to. I had less than 10 weeks with her but I learned many valuable tools and skills from her. I am going to take a little break, but I fully intend on restarting therapy in the near future. Life still gets hard, and I need to get better at taking my medication at the same time every day. I am proud of how far I have come, and I hope to continue.

I’m riding high from the emotional rollercoaster of having my family visit for my pinning ceremony, my recent anniversary with my boyfriend/major support system, and all the changes that come with finishing school and stepping in the unknown. One thing that I have thought about is that my boyfriend has only known me while I was a nursing student. He has seen the stress and tears and smiles and everything in between. Now that I will be transitioning into a new role in my professional life, I want to see how I can move forward in other areas of my life as well. For example, I would like to pick up more hobbies that I have set aside (painting, knitting, baking). I would like to workout more regularly! I would also like to learn how to cook more meals.

One of my goals this year is to be better at acknowledging my accomplishments. Regarding this, I feel so different from how I did in January. I’m getting better at taking compliments and lifting myself up. I can count three times that I’ve cried the past few weeks over feeling like a very unsuccessful student, feeling bad at managing my time, and just being overwhelmed. Some days are still horrendous, but somehow, they make the good ones even better. I’ve survived a lot! I want to give myself grace as I move through this time in my life, and I hope that whatever you’re up to these days, you do as well.

Questions for the reader:

• Everyone is going through Big Life Things. If you have any milestones/challenges that you would like to share, let us know: how are you feeling about it?
• Do you have a motto that helps you get through tough days? I like: “just one thing at a time.” It helps me remember to focus on the moment I am in and can reduce my anxiety about the future or past.
• What is your favorite holiday or season? My favorite season is fall and my favorite holiday is Halloween. Dressing up in costumes can be hard for me, although I love my fall playlist! It may be August, but yes, I am listening to spooky Halloween music.