Thoughts as a Newly 28 year old

Hi, friends! I am writing this blog post as a newly 28 year old. I will warn you that this is going to be a type of word vomit. My mind has been all over the place recently, especially this past week with the election outcome being up in the air. At the time of writing this, we finally know Biden-Harris has won the election, and I am taking this as a belated birthday gift haha. While I am riding this election high, I wanted to reflect on the past year.

I feel like I have become an anxious person over the last couple of years. Particularly in 2020, I have been feeling like my life is being taken over by my anxiety. Despite being home most of the time due to the pandemic, I have been having hard time keeping up with life, feeling restless and feeling guilt whenever I am not productive.

Yesterday (which was my actual birthday), I spent the day completing self-evaluation for work. I was sort of dreading it because I felt like I had not accomplished enough since I started a new job over the summer. While answering questions about each performance goal, I realized that that is not true. Tackling my never-ending and forever-growing to-do list, I often forget how much I have learned and grown. That goes the same for my blog.

Since Three Shinsters became Better with Ju and I started this website at the end of 2019/January 2020, I have put a lot more time and effort on the blog to create content and to post consistently. I am proud of myself for sticking with it and for never compromising my integrity or authenticity. I had opportunities to work with great local businesses and have some fun collaborations coming up too! The blog has been the creative outlet I needed and makes me fulfilled outside of work.

I feel like my personal life has been the most out of control, but this pandemic has been a blessing in disguise in a way. Pre-pandemic, I was always so busy and my calendar was packed with plans. Looking back, I don’t know how I did that. Quarantine has definitely forced me to slow down, which I desperately needed. I have also had plenty of time to reflect on what I really value in life and how I want to prioritize and protect my mental health.

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotions, but at this moment I am happy and hopeful. I feel loved and cared for by all those who ensured I had a great birthday while battling election anxiety themselves. I cannot wait to see what my 28th year and 2021 have in store!