PTSD and benefits of an internship

Internship Report

       The internship, this is a part of my education I have been anticipating and looking forward for the last couple of semesters. I am a firm believe that learning skills, theories, ideas, practices or any number of other things we are taught throughout our education are basically useless until we possess the ability to apply them to real world applications. I count myself fortunate, when I started my college education I had 6 years of military experience under my belt, now that I am coming to the end of my undergrad I have ten years of military experience, with 6 of those years being in junior and senior leadership roles. I started my education already possessing time management, communication and leadership skills, as well as having the ability to apply skills to real world situations.

     As the internship started I still held excitement for its start, but my anxiety begun to swell with the overload of information. It may have been more of the need to be able to expertly navigate and utilize the multitude of computer software and programs needed for the internship. The anxiety was eased with the help of the tremendous team.

    Time management, this is a skill that you must be able to apply to all situations in life to be successful, whether it is gardening or being successful in this internship. “As an entrepreneur, you may be frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions. While you cannot eliminate interruptions, you do get a say on how much time you will spend on them and how much time you will spend on the thoughts, conversations and actions that will lead you to success.” As said in ("How to Manage Time With 10 Tips That Work," n.d.) It all comes down to my ability to manage each task properly. Taking each task and allowing it a certain amount of effort and time. It is about prioritizing, we will always have distractions to every task we come across.

     Communication is something that has been highly stressed in this first week of the internship. This is a skill that is needed in any career, and for that matter almost every part of our daily lives. “Having effective communication skills is imperative for your success. Positive communication will certainly increase the opportunities you find in your career and business. Having good communication skills will enable you to get ahead in certain areas where others who are less assertive may not succeed.” Said in ("5 Things To Practice for Effective Communication Skills," n.d.) The military has given me all of the needed skills and abilities to successfully apply what I have learned about communication in all aspects of my life. I have always been one that is not afraid to ask questions when I need to, and that has proven to be extremely helpful in this first week of my internship.

    The biggest hurdle for me this first week to overcome has been my anxiety. While it is not something that we (soldiers) like to talk openly about, it is an unfortunate reality of job. While I consider myself lucky not having to deal with the terrible effects of PTSD, I do tend to have issues with anxiety. It does not hinder my life in any big negative ways, but it certainly has changed the way I perceive my surroundings. I find myself at my most anxious when I am not in complete control of the tasks I am completing. When trying to get all the new software working properly and get a solid grasp on each needed task I found myself overwhelmed. “Stress management is a personal journey. What works for one person may not work for another. As you try different approaches, it is important to allow your body and mind to tell you what is working for you. For brief periods of stress, you may find the following helpful in reducing stress: exercising; listening to relaxing music; taking a warm bath or shower; doing hobbies and creative projects; managing your time better; surrounding yourself with supportive family and friends; getting your feelings out; laughing; and focusing on the positive.” Taken form ("Stress and Anxiety Management Skills," n.d.). I have found what works best for me, when I find myself becoming anxious is to leave the situation for a few minutes. I keep saltwater aquariums, and have done so for a long time, it is my savior I will sit and feed my fish, or just watch my tank for 5 or 10 minutes and all my anxiety is gone. I can then return to my work and be completely focused on my tasks. When dealing with anxiety, to me it is all about keeping everything in balance, and not allowing that stress to take over.

     This first week of my internship has already proven to be invaluable. The people I have to opportunity to work with are great, everyone is bringing a strong work ethic and a great set of skills to the table. With all of us working together to accomplish our goals I can only see us succeeding. I am very excited to see what the coming weeks bring us.

References-

5 Things To Practice for Effective Communication Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://workawesome.com/communication/effective-communication-skills/

How to Manage Time With 10 Tips That Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553

Stress and Anxiety Management Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.unr.edu/counseling/self-help-center/stress-and-anxiety-management-skills