SophieJ Life Experiences

I kept starting this blog over the past few weeks and never finishing it. I kept wondering why. Maybe because some days I feel low-key burnt out, and other days I am simply trying to keep myself afloat.

This is my last residency year as a Licensed Associate before reaching the holy grail of full licensure, and quite frankly, I despise the process. There is no poetic way to say it: being pre-fully licensed sucks.

The expectations are actually insane. Unpaid internships asking for full therapist-level labor while expecting people to maintain a caseload, survive financially, and somehow remain emotionally regulated? No stipend, no real support, just vibes and trauma. Then you finally get licensed, only to be overworked and underpaid while trying to complete supervision hours. It feels like being told to “hang in there” while actively drowning.

And life? Life is expensive. Like, offensively expensive. You end up needing a second job just to breathe a little easier, except the job market feels nonexistent right now. Everything feels unstable. I personally refuse to do in-home positions because my nervous system simply cannot handle that level of unpredictability and safety concerns. So yes, there are days I genuinely have to talk myself out of crashing out at least once a month. Maybe more. God bless.

Being a millennial adult in this era honestly feels like one of the most exhausting timelines to exist in. Think about it for a second. We are expected to:

• work full-time and probably part-time too,
• heal our trauma while not passing it down,
• gentle parent if we have children,
• drink enough water,
• eat balanced anti-inflammatory meals with protein and fiber,
• avoid processed sugar,
• walk 10k steps a day,
• go to the gym,
• meditate,
• stay informed but not overwhelmed,
• be empathetic,
• maintain friendships,
• check on family,
• have hobbies,
• rest properly,
• And if you are single? Add dating to the list.

Find a good partner, but don’t be too picky. Have standards, but not “too many.” Be emotionally available, financially responsible, attractive, self-aware, healed, soft, productive, and spiritually grounded. Like… can we catch a break? Can we just breathe for five minutes without feeling behind in life?

Between society’s impossible expectations and governments gaslighting people into believing everything is “fine,” I genuinely do not know how we are all surviving this era. Gas is literally over $4 a gallon for cash. Eggs have lived multiple lives at this point. Everyone is tired.

Lately, Naika’s song “What a Day” has perfectly captured how I feel most days. Give it a listen. She is worth the search. Another artist you absolutely should check out is Melanie Charles, whom I discovered through the legendary Emeline Michel. Truly incredible artistry. Full of texture, surprises, and soul.

Because honestly? I have been saying this for a while now: adults need to intentionally schedule pockets of joy into their lives. If we don’t, life becomes nothing but responsibilities and survival mode.

So in the spirit of scheduling joy, I have been going to concerts in the middle of the week, planning cute outings with the girls, making intentional time for family. Now that spring is here and summer is approaching, being outside is officially part of the healing plan. The routine itself is peaceful, and I am grateful for that. I do not want chaos anymore. My nervous system cannot physically tolerate any more chaos. NADA MÁS. But peace can also become monotonous if we are not careful, so joy has to become intentional too.

Speaking of artists, Bithja has an album out called Heaven’s Call. Very R&B, very faith-centered, very comforting if you are trying to reconnect spiritually or simply need music that feels grounding. “The Same God” has been on repeat for weeks.

At this point, I think most of us are just trying to survive the chaos without becoming consumed by it. The past two years have genuinely felt like a mix of dystopian fiction, horror films, documentaries, and chapters from a future-history book… and not in a fun way.

I want to keep talking with y’all, but it is already 7 AM, and I have clients scheduled early this morning.

Stay safe. Protect your peace. Schedule joy.

Until next time.