Navigating through new territory or high-stakes situations, such as the college admissions process, can evoke a range of emotions. It's common to feel like we aren't doing enough or that we ourselves aren't enough. We may also feel sad, angry, irritable, frustrated, apathetic, or a host of other emotions. Often, we aren't even aware of what we're truly feeling. To cope, we may try to push these feelings away or deny their existence altogether. Sometimes it’s really not fine, and you need to get help! Or call the fire department!

Ignoring these emotions won't make them disappear. They will continue to hold power over us until we acknowledge and accept them. Recognizing and naming the emotion can be the first step toward taming it. It may be a long journey, but once we name it, the emotion automatically loses some of its grip on us. In meditation, this can involve a practice of noticing what thoughts and emotions come up, and without judgment watching how they arise, stay for a time, and disappear. Ironically, when we actually give them a little room, and say hello to them, they are less interested in taking over our minds and bodies. Of course, uncomfortable thoughts or emotions can and do continue to arise, since we have years of deeply conditioned habits, but we can learn to relax into whatever comes up, even welcoming and experiencing the whole range of emotions and life.