Emotional Roller Coaster

There is nothing more exhilarating than going onto a roller coaster and going up that steep incline to the big drop. You start to sweat, feeling it on your face and your hands, maybe start shaking a little, your eyes start dilating and you start to feel that little pit in your stomach. You know this is the most nerve wracking part of the whole ride. But once you get to the top and you go into that free fall… everything feels so good, yet scary in a good way.

That seems to be my feelings about applying for med school. Midst all of my assignments, MCAT prep readings, school readings, family obligations and a very little social life I start to freak out about the future. What is going to happen? Am I going on the right track? Is this really what I want to do? Can I do it? What if I can't do it? You get the picture.

When I go through those stages I have no motivation, I don't want to do anything. I think about just giving up. I'm not your perfect A+ student who doesn't have to work for their grades. I work hard for my grades and I give it my all. I always try to remember that anything worth having never comes easy. Which helps, but taking a step back and just getting rid of those pent up emotions is helpful too. Emotions are healthy, they're what makes us human! We all get so caught up in the motions and we forget to come back to who we are. Coming back to us and just living in the moment. Closing our eyes, putting our head on a soft surface and just concentrating on our breath. Listening to the sounds around us and letting our frustrations and anger go. Like being in the free fall of a roller coaster. You're just focused on your breath and you don't notice anything else around you.

That is the peace we need to find when we get caught up in the hustle of life. Something I know I need to remember.

- Jen