SF's keeping on the straight and narrow!

niccatw

Hey SF, just popped over from the NSD thread to say hello and give you a big squashy hug!

It's pretty natural to be feeling scared and anxious about your future at this stage. Generally I find taking a deep breath and visualising me in that scariest place helps, 'cos then I can see I've done it and I was ok. Probaly sounds a bit mad, but it seems to work for me! If that sounds too mad for you, maybe just try the deep breathes part .

And I totally understand you wanting to have a summer of fun before you start your NQT year. How about lining up a week of fre day trips/gigs in and around your area? Make a picnic and spend quality time with the BF.

Another thing you can look into, if you are festivally people, is to volunteer to do "litter picking" shifts... that way you get to be at the festival and genrally have to do three shifts of the course of the festival, only one of which needs to be while the headliners would be on. (I looked into it for The Big Chill Festival, but I assume they all do a similar kind of thing).

Or a National Trust volunteering holiday; they can be very cheap.

And do you print your draft essay on the "draft" setting on your printer; it'll save you a fortune in ink.

I also wondered if you might be a bit anemic, not necesarily much or all the time, but at certain times of the month . It might just be because you've a lot on and are a bit stressed and not sleeping well, but if you're iron is low, it could be that. If you up your iron intake and your Vit C intake (it helps the body absorb iron), it might help?

My sleep is also all over the place. I am trying very hard to keep to a night-time routine (failing miserably at the mo. but I'll get there eventually!), i.e going to bed at the same time, destressing and winding down by having some "me time"; exfoliating, moisturising, cleansing, doing my nails, that kind of thing.

It works if I'm not still on the computer at this time of night Shhh, you never saw me here :rotfl:.

Take care

solventsoon

Hi sf
Really just echoing what everyone else has said. You've got an awful lot on at the moment and some big changes coming up in your life. You're bound to be stressed, on edge and tired at the moment and that's going to affect your morale, no matter how excited you are at your new life coming along.

Your weekend at home will have done you the power of good, you needed a break and, to get that break, you had to pay for the petrol - can't do much about that really, it's done now so try to put it to one side.

Nicca's right about the ink cartridge, print in draft quality - lasts loads longer, or try the cartridge refill places - much cheaper if they stock cartridges for your printer.

Don't be too hard on yourself - you are doing brilliantly!

Chin up - you'll get there and we're on on hand for a virtual hug or chat if you need one.

Take care
spoon
x
PS: here's a hug to cheer you up

BigMummaF

Methinks you've hit the 'I dun wunna bee a growed up!' stage of your life I know I had it when I was leaving full time education & had to be responsible for my own actions & turn up for work & stuff, then again a couple of months before I married & let's not talk about each pregnancy It's to be expected really because you're coming to the end of one stage in your Life & the next bit is going to be so very different to anything you've known before. You have also been financing your studies for a long time now & that kind of budgeting takes a lot of dedication, without the added pressure of saving for your first home.

One of the best bits of advice I've ever heard is:-
Imagine your friend had come to you with this situation. Consider what you would say & think of the practical help you would offer. Now, look in the mirror...

I try to do this & admit it is difficult to take one's own advice, but find writing one of my infamous Pro & Con lists helps with this too.

If your car is getting expensive to run, is there a chance you can get something a bit smaller? It would mean a bit of heavy-duty number crunching, to see if any potential savings on insurance & fuel would warrant the outlay or is there a possibility you could get rid of your car completely once settled in your new home.
As others have said there's lots of ideas for freebie fun & even when the weather is bad, a lounge picnic can lift the spirits

You will get thru this..you are a strong, independent young lady who has achieved so much already and nobody can take that away from you x

taxi73

Hun..you'll get through this..change is always scary but never actually as bad as we had imagined it to be.
Thinking through what you have achieved so far you have done fantastically.

hypno06

Hope you are feeling a bit better today, SF.

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, sometimes it just feels so overwhelming, for no real reason, doesn't it! That can be hard to deal with, but it passes, and you will soon be back to the optimistic way of thinking again

Have a good day xx

Jo4

You are doing soooo well. If you were someone else reading your own thread you would be amazed at how well they were doing and telling them so. Yet when it is yourself it is a different story. I hope you are feeling better today!

slowlyfading

Aww thanks guys and here was me thinking I was being daft!

I do think that all of a sudden, it's hit me that I'll be leaving education in 6 weeks time for good and moving onto full time work etc., so I just had a bit of a wobble last night! But thank you for offering me such lovely kind words of advice, from all you much wiser people than me.

Today has been a much better day; my lessons have gone fine, I've got more paperwork sorted and it's also been a NSD so that's always a bonus.

I think I do need to take a step back and look at what I've achieved so far. I'm 23 and I think I do have a good sense of practicality when it comes to finances and I'm careful with what I spend on, most of the time! I'm doing okay, I just needed someone else to say I am too I think

BMF - I drive a small car anyway, and most of the time it is fantastic on petrol, it's just because i've driven so far lately and it cost me a bit to get through the MOT in march. I am going to look at getting a better car when I've been in work a few months I think.
Nicca - I do print my things on the draft setting - it's amazing how much less ink that uses! I normally get my ink cartridges re-filled but haven't been as organised this time and I needed ink there and then. Oh well, you learn from these things! I hadn't thought about Iron, to be honest, I'm not that good on things like that. I shall investigate that one, ta
Nuala, SL, Spoon, hypno, taxi and jo - thank you

Keiss_21

Glad you are feeling happier today SF.

We all get "down days" every once in a while. The key is not to let them get to us too much.

As the song says: "Pick yourself up, dust yourself down...and start all over again!" I know some days this is really hard, but Bigmumma's advice at looking at the situation from the outside, as if it is happening to someone else is a really great idea. We are all very good at helping others, but can be really carp at helping ourselves.

You are really pretty well organized.....so much better than many other 23 year-olds I know!

I am really impressed with all your planning, and you really need it with teaching, otherwise, you get swamped VERY quickly (speaks from experience ).

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week.

Take care.

hypno06

Morning!

Re the "looking at it as though you were on the outside" stuff, try closing your eyes, then imagining yourself floating up like a "ghost" of yourself....so that you can see from above what is happening below if you see what I mean.......that way, you are looking at it from a slightly detatched viewpoint. It can take a bit of practice, but is very good once you get the hang of it! At the same time, while you are "up there" you can take a glance down the path you have travelled, and see just how far you have come, and can allow yourself a sneaky glance down the path of the future to see all the exciting things ahead of you

One you get the hang of it, it only takes a minute or so, but is great for seeing things in perspective.

**note to self - take own bloody advice occasionally**

slowlyfading

thanks again guys, really appreciate it.

Today has been a tough day at school and I'm pretty tired, plus need to get writing another essay so I have a feeling that tonight is going to be long... yawn.

11th NSD of May though, so that's always a bonus