With exam weeks rolling in, assignments piling up, and students collectively sharing moments of existential crisis, I thought about the ways one can lower anxiety levels in stressful times like these.

Living with anxiety is a big issue; it sits on your shoulder and weighs you down. I'm not going to go into the details of my own experiences, but I've found that the most offered solution to it, is therapy.

The Internet gives us endless information around How Therapy Changed My Life. Therapy is indeed a powerful, helpful tool for recovery,

but it's also expensive.

"You should play with the other kids, honey!" my mother suggests.

I shake my head, refusing the offer. "I don't want to look weird."

Living alone this year has set me up for a lot of reality checks. For the first time in my life, I have been confronted with all the things that I need to reflect upon and change within myself, in order to grow into an adult who–you know–has her life together.

Some of these things hit pretty deep; like recovery, spiritual growth, and a shifting heart. And I realize now that there's not much room left in 2018–my grand year of change–for me to add things into. Rather, the challenge is to find the spaces that need a bit of a clearing up.

I've received so many new knowledges over the past 3-4 months. With that being said, I decided to write out the small list of things I've decided to have less of in 2018.

"Will you help him? The little pilot?"

"Why should I?"

"Because he's a twelve year old boy. Dogs love those."