I am very much looking forward to this upcoming spring break. As a busy college student, I look forward to a refreshing break from deadlines, projects and assignments for a few days. This past winter break, I thoroughly enjoyed having time to myself to create, relax, and spend time with my family. But after a few weeks of solitude, I have learned that there may come a day where I will wake up and something will feel off. 

I have learned that inevitably, there will come days when my inner monologue will sound slightly askew. When I look at myself in the mirror, it may ask: “do you deserve to feel good about yourself today?” or as I’m falling asleep, it may convince me that now is the ideal time to configure the perfect comeback during an argument that happened months ago. Quiet is nice, but sometimes the silence creates space for anxiety to lie to us. Over time, I have grown to view breaks like these as an opportunity to practice regulating when negative thoughts begin to seep in.

This upcoming break, make the conscious choice to recognize the lies and choose not to believe them. When a thought enters my brain that starts to hurt, I ask myself: is this necessary or helpful for me to dwell upon? Is what I’m dwelling on something I have any capability in controlling? If any of the following answers are “no,” I try my best to shut them off and move onto something else like reading a book, opening my watercolor set or lacing up my sneakers to take a walk. Dwelling on negative thoughts cannot help us, but it helps to remind yourself to stay in the moment and be where your feet are.

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