(My thoughts in regards to parents who have children in school/college/training and those who work in the school system. I’m certain that other professions have their own timelines when the stress can overtake us. My disclaimer is that I am continually trying to find the light.)
This is the time in everyone’s year where we need to regroup, recoup and power through to the end of the semester. My world has revolved around the semester based school schedule which has translated to my emotions following the biannual cycle of trying to “keep things together” through the end of every semester. There are the stressors of studying, planning, tests, grading and maybe have a life. In the fall it has always seemed worse for me. I live for the sun. The darkness that comes with the end of fall isn’t good to me. Whether it is a case of Seasonal Affective Disorder, stress, depression, or a combination of all, or others, these darker months make it harder for me to handle my daily stress.
I don’t think I’m alone. It’s so easy to be low when you have a constant gauge of your successes and failures based on school systems. Some students follow the same yearly patterns and may struggle emotionally at the end of semesters. Sometimes it could be a normal response to the stress involved in every semester. Sometimes it’s beyond normalcy.
There has been a lot of press and research coming out about the suicide ideation in students in their late teens through early twenties. I know from my little corner of the universe that this is true. All too often former students reach our for reassurance and a reality check. Yes, you should be tired. Yes, being overwhelmed is okay sometimes. But not to the point of not being able to function or not seeing the value of the work you’re doing. And especially not okay to believe you cannot continue on a daily basis. These are the students and teacher peers that reach out.
I fear that many others don’t. I never did until I could feel myself getting lower and lower several years ago. My view of the daily repetition and perceived sadness of life could have completely taken me over. I’m blessed that between Rachael and several coworkers I climbed to a better place mentally.
All of this is above my pay grade. I’m just a teacher and mom doing the best I can everyday, but I read so many articles about the number of suicide attempts and admired suicide ideation haunts me.
What if we started marking ourselves safe from the ugliness that comes along with the end of semesters? Like people do during natural disasters, since depression is a national natural disaster. Not that I am making light of any of this, but we need to be checking on each other. Are you eating right? Working out? Sleeping? Laughing? Allowing yourself to cry? Are you making your lists and marking things off? Singing out loud? (These are things that help me.).
Talk to each other and check in. We can all use a lot more light as we head into the holidays. Oy! The holidays are coming. Save some of YOUR light for yourself. I will try to do the same.
Much love,
Ileana
Interesting articles and research:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Holly_Wilcox/publication/26659984_Suicide_Ideation_Among_College_Students_A_Multivariate_Analysis/links/0deec524c5d19a093e000000/Suicide-Ideation-Among-College-Students-A-Multivariate-Analysis.pdf?origin=publication_detail
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/January-2019/8-Ways-to-Deal-with-Depression-During-the-Gloomy-D
https://www.mhanational.org/tips-teachers-ways-help-students-who-struggle-emotions-or-behavior
And a chocolate covered face full of joy for us all-
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