A moment a day...

...keeps the psychiatrist away. Mental health is important, but all too often overlooked. The world can be overwhelming, especially when there's a lot going on. I for one am all to susceptible to working myself up over small things, and I am sure I'm not the only one.

Today was my first stressful day in a while however, being on my summer holidays and all that. I had a dose of reality when I needed to attend a job interview in London. As usual, I worked myself up over the unpleasantries I would undoubtedly endure. Now I am not one to worry, and I'm cool with keeping cool, but butterflies are an unavoidable and natural occurrence for when you are put on to perform. I performed well, but only because I played the interview scenario over and over in my head a thousand times for a good day or so before - progressively getting worse so that I was ready for any eventuality. I knew the interview would be in a high rise flat, so I knew there'd always be at least one quick-fire way out of the scenario if it all became too much. But I did hope that the interview would end without suicide, which it did - obviously. The interview was actual quite pleasant, and me and my employer got along swell. If you didn't catch that - I got the job.

Nonetheless, the day drained me. At that point in time, I felt it had gone alright but I didn't know for sure. I continued to replay the interview in my head after, over-thinking every word, every gesture, everything. Had I been too relaxed? Had I covered everything? Should I have asked more? Or less? The over-thinking was relentless and endless. Until it got to a point where I snapped. I had to stop thinking about it. I looked outside, and it was beautiful. It had just finished raining and the sun was setting. I was all too preoccupied within my head to appreciate what was around me. And I think that happens all too often. Getting worked up, self-absorbed and stressed; it does us no good. We all need to take time to appreciate what we have, else it won't be worth having it at all. Take a moment along with your five-a-day.