Dear Caroline,

I agree with Rose and Ben wholeheartedly. And I also completely understand what you’re going through. Upon my graduation of college I had tons of anxiety, like I was stepping off a cliff into a fog covered hole with no parachute. But I realized later that much of that was because my life had been so structured with school and family life that I had no idea how to navigate from that point on since I didn’t have to before! It was as if I had been on a conveyor belt for so long but now life would be all about my choice and I wasn’t going to have as much control over where things went from that point. And that would send my fear and anxiety through the roof. It was scary!

You’re 20s are going to be full of mistakes and so is the rest of your life but guess what…it’s totally okay!! Your 20s will be full of ups and downs and more questions than answers. But no mistake will ever be so bad that you can’t survive it. You won’t die (unless you really do jump off a cliff without a parachute), you might fail but you might succeed, and the best part…you will be okay either way. Even at 30 I’m still trying to figure out life and trying to do the best I can, we all are! My parents who are in their late 50s are still trying to figure life out because there’s no manual. No one on earth has life all figured out and no one ever will. Take Ben’s advice and just embrace this crazy ride you’re about to go on. It will make many things you will face much easier.

As for the anxiety and depression it sounds like much of it is stemming from your fear of graduating and the looming uncertainty of your path. I could be wrong, best to see a therapist or someone who can test to make sure you aren’t clinically depressed, but otherwise it sounds like it’s just stemming from fear. Just know that you’re capable, competent, and smart enough to navigate this. I know I don’t know you, but your post speaks of your intelligence so I gathered enough to make that assumption. Mistakes are inevitable, but you will always be okay in the end.

Just breathe and learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.