I'm Back: Mental Health, Graduation, and the Future of SightingSara

Hey there, friends!

It has been a minute. I wanted to come back here and give you guys a quick update on why I've been away for -- well, months. July was officially the last time that I posted in all my SightingSara platforms (connect with me here!) and then I took a very long hiatus. Instead of just returning like nothing happened, I wanted to talk a little bit about what I've been up to and what the future is looking like.

"We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers" (1 Thessalonians 1:2).

I wanted to start by thanking you for being here and for supporting me. Even while I was away, I saw so many notifications of people still engaging with my content, using the free resources we have here on the website, and generally having conversations and slowly building community. I have no words to say how grateful I am for every single one of you. I'm genuinely so excited to be back!

Why did I take a step back?

As I mentioned, I've been away since July. This year has been particularly difficult as an international student, a foreigner, living in the United States. As you can imagine, I had a lot of curve balls thrown my way and was genuinely grieving. For a while, I was living in fear and that affected my mental health.

For those that don't know, I've struggled with depression since 2021 and with anxiety for as long as I remember. Needless to say that the recent events have truly affected my mental health to the point where I had to go back to "survival mode." Thanks to the wonderful support of my parents, the people at my job, and Jesus - I can safely say that things are slowly starting to look up.

During this time, our family was prioritizing our mental health, slowing down, and trying to figure out what life would look like post-graduation for me. I can't believe I'm talking about graduation again - it's almost time!

Even in the midst of all the pain, I'm grateful for this time and for the lessons I was able to learn.

"Cast your burdens upon the Lord and He will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22).

Starting with the important reminder that there's no shame in needing to prioritize yourself. I had to learn the hard way that if your mind isn't right, other things around you will follow suit. I had to go back to fully trusting God and simply telling Him: I can't do this on my own. It was in this time of surrender that I was able to focus on the things that mattered: my family, my health, and my relationship with Him and my friends.

Another reminder was about clarity and uncertainty. To be fully honest with you I still don't know what I'll be doing post-graduation, but I've taken several steps to make sure I'm doing my part. While a ton of things are out of my control, I'd encourage you to focus today on the things that you can control.

Image from The Challenge Coach

So many times, a lot of our anxiety stems from our inability to let go on the things we have no control over. Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about what others are thinking about us, what their opinions are... And you can't. By spending so much energy worrying about what you can't control, it's easy to find yourself struggling to take care of the ones that you can.

If you're curious, here are some things that I found helpful during this time:

• Taking advantage of the treatment prescribed to me - instead of not taking it seriously and on time

• Journaling and doing creative things not connected to my job or career

• Meaningful conversations with the people around me

• Expressing my struggles to those I trust and not feeling like I had to carry everything on my own

• Spending time with God and listening to worship or more chill/intentional songs

What have I been up to?

Despite our struggles, the Sun doesn't stop shining and the Earth doesn't stop. So, I've got good news and better updates!

Starting with an academic update - I've completed like 90% of my Master's in Sport Administration. This Fall I'll be taking one class and doing my internship and Capstone project in order to graduate. Prayers are much appreciated during this process! I'll be giving more information about the internship soon in a separate post and I'm very excited.

I've also been spending more time doing creative projects and some things that aren't necessarily connected to my career (a lot more journaling, crafting, and DIYs). Sometimes it was a bit awkward not being able to/wanting to post these "offline wins," but I'm genuinely so proud of myself for taking the break I needed to have clarity.

Looking ahead!

Once again, the biggest thing in my mind right now is my graduation. Despite my burnout and personal struggles, I genuinely feel that this year is going to fly by and soon I'll be up there getting my diploma. I'm also super excited for new opportunities related to the sports world, athlete branding, and more content creation! As this season slowly comes to a close, I really want to connect with more people, share more tips, and continue building a supportive community online.

So, what can you expect? My goal is to return to consistent posting on creative tips, behind-the-scenes content, and encouraging more community conversations. My main platforms will continue to be Instagram and TikTok, but I want to continue posting more resources on this website as well!

With that being said: you're more than invited to this journey! You can connect with me here or on my socials with any questions, encouragement, or if you just want to chat. This is just the beginning and I'm genuinely so excited for this new chapter.

With lots of love - don't forget to stay creative!

-Sara.