"Stress comes from ignoring the things you shouldn't be ignoring."
I think I heard Jeff Bezos say that once. It’s ringing in my ears today.
It’s Monday morning, December 1st, 2025. The wind is biting, and the world is still covered in yesterday’s snow. I grab my keys and drive to my sanctuary: the computer library at my school.
I sit down, crack open the laptop, and log into my Google account—the central hub of my entire life. But as the screen lights up, so does the anxiety. I have tasks bleeding over from last week. Three separate applications are stalled, held up by one or two tiny details I’ve been avoiding. Then, my phone buzzes—a reminder to send an urgent email within the next 48 hours.
The day hasn't even started, and I’m already paralyzed. I’m overwhelmed.
But I’ve been here before. I recognize the pattern.
I look away from the screen. I pick up my pen and open my journal. Because when the mind is cloudy, you can't navigate it by thinking harder; you have to get it out.
And as the ink touches the page, I realize something important.
Maybe I’m not depressed. Maybe life isn't trying to crush me. Maybe I just need to sleep. Maybe I just need to eat. Or maybe I just need to write these thoughts down so I stop drowning in them.
When the deadlines pile up and the projects scream for attention, we sink into this bubble where every problem feels like a disaster. We convince ourselves that life is hard, when really, we just aren't thinking straight.
So if you are feeling that weight today, take a step back. You might be making the problem bigger than it is simply because you’re carrying it all in your head. Don't ignore the chaos—confront it, write it down, and take a breath. It’s likely not a crisis; it’s just life waiting to be organized.