This week and next, campus and life at BG will be everything but peaceful. With the stress of finals week and the hustle and bustle that comes with the holidays, it can be easy to drown in the stress and chaos of the next month. However, it is crucial to not forget why we are so stressed and worked and continue to breath!
With all the stress, tasks and chores and items on the to-do list, becoming overwhelmed is almost inevitable. But there are joys and celebrations woven within the crazy things, and we just need to pause to find them.
Even though finals induce a large amount of nervousness and anxiety, the promise of finals is that after the hard work is through, we get to go home for nearly a month and spend time with the families we so adore. All it takes is a step back from the madness to realize the joy in the things that stress us out.
Many of us will be struggling to purchase a perfect gift for a friend or relative, or busy cleaning the entire house for company, or being in charge of cooking half of the Christmas dinner. While each of these seems like a mind-blowingly difficult task, the reason we are doing it is to make the holidays special for those around us that we love. When we get lost in the crazy of the holidays, we can lose the true meaning of those endless hours of work, and then what is the point?
The effects of not seeing the bigger picture can be detrimental. A year is a long time, and no holiday season will be the same. That being said, seeing the importance and value in spending quality time is vital to your long term happiness.
I’ll give you an example. One year for Christmas, my mom’s side of the family got together, broke bread, and had a wonderful time together as a family. Exactly one year later, my grandma was placed in a nursing home and ties had been severed with several members of that side of the family, and we did not even meet to celebrate. Because I became enveloped in the chaos of the holidays, I did not take full advantage of seeing my wonderful family gathered in one place, and missed that awesome opportunity.
Now granted, seeing the joy in stressful situations is much easier said than done, and so is taking advantage of every situation. And when your entering your fifth hour in a row at the library studying, and you’ve been sitting in one chair so long your butt is numb, it can be rough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the rewards are far beyond the risks.
When we allow ourselves to be consumed by anxiety, our hearts lose their peace. And the most important aspect of the next few weeks is enjoying time with the people that we love. So as we enter finals week and then return home to an equal amount of holiday chaos, take a deep breath and remember the bigger picture.
Instead of becoming overwhelmed, let your heart be peaceful and soak in every single second of this holiday season.
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