Stress

 I honestly don't have much to say other than that this has been a horrible week for me. 2022 off to a strong start. It just feels like with COVID, life, and academics that everything keeps on piling on and I haven't had a chance to catch up.

Mental health is so so important. There are countless studies showing that stress is bad for your health, physically and mentally. And many places, academia especially, are horrible at encouraging people to take breaks when they need them. Many professors and advisors dismiss students' concerns about this and create a really toxic work culture.

Last year I was part of a group that led a workshop on mental health in science, and how to make it better. Our main point was that it's okay to talk about your mental health and to make people around you aware of how you're doing. It doesn't have to be a taboo subject.

And I'm not doing great! I feel overwhelmed and as though I'm barely hanging on. Everything that goes a little wrong feels like a disaster. I don't know how or why I ended up here but I'm here! And I need a break.

So that's just my little PSA for the week. I'll be back on my bullshit once I'm capable of being there.