The Most “Worthy” Time of the Year

Dear Dad,

Things have been better and (slightly) less stressful since I last wrote.

To cheers for one of the last relaxing nights before finals season begins and to continue this streak of less anxious times, I’ve decided to incorporate a new routine into my weekly schedule. Each Sunday night ahead of a chaotic week, time will be set aside to reflect on my week and how I’m feeling about the next couple of days. Let’s just see if I can hold myself to this (especially with scheduling this time in the good ol’ Google cal)!

This past week was an interesting one to say the least, with lots of presentations and projects to complete, yet more time than I thought to relax outside of these times of work.

In the end, I probably had too much time as the most detrimental part of the week was probably my decision to be on my phone in the dorm whenever any free time allowed me to. With this, I actually deleted Instagram for the night before realizing that doing so won’t solve anything.

In fact, I’ve come to realize the beauty and skill in this exactly—taking a break from social media at your own leisure while keeping it as an option open for those brief mind escapes.

An escape may be what’s needed at this time of year, post-finals and after the busiest semester I’ve ever had. But what others don’t realize is that what the holiday season can truly mean while transitioning into a new year is the amount of personal growth that can result.

I remember after returning back to grade school from winter break thinking about how everyone changed immensely in just a matter of weeks (especially boys, who I probably adored to acknowledge as boy crazy lil Lauren). It comes to show how staying in touch with others throughout these times is crucial, while standing aside those whom you love most to watch them evolve.

Otherwise, this holiday season is truthfully the most “worthy” time of year in my eyes. A time for personal growth and becoming more dynamic into my personal branding. And no, this is not staged as one of my New Year’s Resolutions (not getting into the list of those yet), but rather a great mindset to bring into 2026 to start it off right.

To develop this safe space for my family and friends that read, to motivate you all who need it most, and to one day develop a product of mine to spread the beauty of expressing one’s feelings is what I hope to live for. So although I preach self-care and leisure time, I’m embracing productiveness while acknowledging my “worthiness” this break. Let’s just see if I can stick to this motivation—since I already fell into finishing this journal entry on Friday rather than Sunday 😁

Only 2 Sundays until Christmas,

Lauren