All Work And No Play

I always knew second year was going to be hard (they’re not called the ‘second-year blues’ for nothing!), but I didn’t realise things would get quite so tough so quickly. The increase in workload has been somewhat of a shock to the system: currently I have four pieces of work to do, all with the same deadline, and each a different type of assessment. In addition, I begin my placement on Monday, and as you may or may not know with placements comes a whole different set of assessments and paperwork. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I'm stressed!

The problem is I have tendency to worry a lot (a fact you may have noticed!), and worry leads to stress, which in my case, then makes me worry more about the things I am stressing about. It’s kind of like being on a never-ending anxiety-fuelled merry-go-round, which isn’t as fun as it may sound!

The fact that I’m not even two months into my second year is yet another cause for concern, as I expect things will only get harder from here in. I understand that nursing is a hard profession, and that we need to be adequately prepared for what lies ahead once we qualify, but I’m genuinely starting to worry (I swear it’s like a hobby at this point!) about whether or not I have what it takes. Both third year and qualifying seem like an awfully long way away, and I know it’s gonna be a rough ride.

I fully accept that I do not help myself in these situations: I put too much pressure on myself; I concentrate on what I haven’t achieved or can’t do, instead of focusing on what I have achieved and can do; and I berate myself for having a night off from studying even though I've studied seven nights in a row.

Perhaps I should learn to take one day at a time and go a little easier on myself, or perhaps I just need a night off! One thing’s for certain, something’s gotta give.