By Krista Hoffer
GCU Office of Student Care
#Askingforafriend
Many individuals in the college-age group have noticed a great increase in fear, worry and feeling out of control of their life or surroundings. In some cases, it has led to anxiety and depression.
If those feelings or thoughts relate to you or someone you know, what can we do?
One of the things needed most in this season is grace. We are all living amid a global pandemic where many things outside us are in transition, which impacts the feelings inside us.
We need to extend grace for ourselves, our feelings and our thoughts as well as to others.
This is a new season. These are new paths. We are all walking them out for the first time. Together. So, naturally we don’t have all the answers, and without answers or familiarity, it can bring worry, fear or anxiety. Through grace you can gently remember we’re all figuring this out one day at a time.
You may not have started the semester in the way you would have hoped. Maybe wearing a mask is the most difficult piece for you, or maybe the fear of COVID-19 is influencing how you connect with others.
Each day is a new day, a new start to learn from yesterday. We can learn from external (outside of our control) and internal (within our control) changes, see how they influence us and strive to grow each day.
Maybe you are isolating from others, feeling unmotivated to engage in Zoom lectures or homework assignments. Whatever it is, it’s OK! You are not alone here.
A simple thing we can offer is grace. But in order to offer it to others genuinely, we must first allow grace on ourselves.
You are doing your best. You are resilient. This too shall pass. Grace upon grace.
