How to Handle Too Many Things

By Jarrod Walker Staff WriterHow to Handle Too Many Things

Once I started attending Housatonic, I immediately felt like my life was improving. I was back in school, learning what I love, interacting with people in my community, and feeling overall hopeful for the future. For a year or two, it felt like nothing could touch me. Unfortunately, though, becoming an adult is never that easy. As I grew into my twenties I came face to face with new, difficult realities. I had bills to pay, couldn’t rely on my parents for everything, and was struggling with my mental health in a fast paced world that wasn’t getting better any time soon. On top of my schoolwork, it felt at times that life was slowly becoming impossible. It was at this point I knew I had to do something.

At first, I wasn’t so sure about HCC’s counseling services. Back in high school I had spoken to counselors about different things, but nothing quite like what I was dealing with now. It all felt very overwhelming, and I was reluctant about turning to someone else to help me with my problems. But, after meeting Lisa Slade, Housatonic’s Director of Counseling and Wellness, I was pleasantly surprised.

I started talking to Lisa Slade this summer after I reached one of my lowest points. I honestly didn’t know what anyone could do for me, feeling like I was a lost cause who simply had too much on his plate to ever finish. Then, one day she told me one of the greatest pieces of advice I had ever heard in my life. “How do you eat an elephant?” is what she asked me. I had no idea how to respond. I thought she was just messing with me, so I asked, “How?” And that’s when she told me, “One bite at a time.” Lisa Slade taught me that the best way to deal with way too many problems in your life is to tackle them one at a time. It might take a while, but pacing yourself and allowing yourself to move through life on your own schedule is the best thing you can do for your well being. This November, I’m thankful for Lisa and all the knowledge and compassion she’s given me these past few months. Our conversations have taught me how to better deal with my problems, love myself, and have changed my life for the better.

Photo by Nicholas Bartos on Unsplash. “The road ahead is long, but you’ll be glad you stopped to ask for help.”