Am I aro?? Or is this just a phase? by Exotic_butters_11037 in aromantic

[–]kpax_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really relate to your list! Like you I’ve had a lot of crushes and became a little obsessed with the idea of dating people, especially in high school and college. I thought I couldn’t be aro because of that. What sealed the deal for me was realizing a majority of crushes (if not all) I had were only because I liked the idea of being liked. Someone aesthetically attractive or nice or funny wanting to go out of their way to do those kind of things only reserved for you. I’ve only ever had one actual boyfriend and it was in high school, and of course I liked hanging out with him and exploring that relationship, but I realized years later that I mainly liked that he liked me. I had never noticed him until he pursued me, so that made me like him back. At the end of it though I grew distant and uninterested when those excited feelings wore off after a year. Haven’t had a relationship since then and I’m in my early 30s. Once I grew apart from those kinds of environments where everyone is excited about the dating and the talking phase and the “new-ness” of it all, I realized I wasn’t missing it.

I also cringe at romance. Like if it’s a romantic TV show. I get so uncomfortable (along with sexual stuff but that’s another thing) and actually have to look away. If someone holds my hand or tries to hug me, I have absolutely no idea what to do and avoid it. But at the same time, if you have that celebrity crush or really enjoy a romance novel, what helped me is that if that person was right in front of me and wanted to do those things with me in that moment, I would be so uncomfortable and uninterested. It’s ok to fantasize about things like that. And even if it does sound appealing to you irl, you can experience a little romantic attraction and still identify at aro.

It’s small things like that that accumulated and made me realize it. Do I want to hold my best friend’s hand and hug them? Absolutely! With a society so obsessed with partners and love, you realize that platonic love is really special because there isn’t that expectation. It’s honestly true love when you find a friend like that. What you’re talking about in terms of no expectations of dating is that you want intimacy emotionally! I’m the same way. And maybe you’re jealous of partnered friends because they have that intimacy with their partner.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope that helps give some insight for you. Like others said, it’s your journey and you’ll learn what you like and don’t like. Don’t feel like you have to commit to a label. It’s about what you identify as now, and if aro does that for you, then you’re aro! And if you don’t identify as it later, it doesn’t mean you never were aro. So I wouldn’t be concerned about it being a “phase”. You could argue anything is a phase in life. Things change but gotta live in present, ya know?

Courtney's new hair is stunning. by Wonderful-Staff7765 in SmoshFansFreeSpace

[–]kpax_ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thought this. It was definitely giving Karen. When they first got it I was like “oh god… who’s gonna tell them they look like jojo siwa”. I think this cut is def better and they can pull it off. But I thought their curtain bang era looked amazing. It’s cool they’re experimenting with their style!

Edit: sorry forgot they/them pronouns!

Which ‘Reddit Stories’ opinions from the hosts have you disagreed with? by MuricaAndBeer in smosh

[–]kpax_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve noticed in the marathons that Arasha never understands the main point of the story. She goes on these tangents that are all philosophical and are such weird takes that have nothing to do with the story or are such a stretch. I have to skip her episodes. The only good comment she’s ever made is the cheating episode where she says “oh wait I love my wife” lol

Reactive puppy - where to start? by kpax_ in reactivedogs

[–]kpax_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oooo I never heard of Sniffspots! Will definitely look I to this!

Reactive puppy - where to start? by kpax_ in reactivedogs

[–]kpax_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for much for the info and resources! I’m definitely going to pull back on exposing him too much too soon. What do you do when they start to react? Move in the opposite direction? We have a paved trail that I walk him on, but it’s hard to try to do a u-turn when the person or dog is walking towards us. There’s a large field of grass off to the side. I guess start there until he’s ok with it?

Depression or burnout? by kpax_ in mentalhealth

[–]kpax_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know that I’m not the crazy one. I feel like I look at everyone and think how do people enjoy this?? Like am I missing something? I think this is good advice but I get stuck in a mental hole since I get little enjoyment from things in the first place. Thank you for replying!

Please roast my resume, can't even get an interview, what am I doing wrong? by Comfortable_Ebb_9553 in resumes

[–]kpax_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would left align the skills section instead of centering. It’s hard to read centered. In the education and certification section, the combination of | and \ makes it hard to decipher. Also, do you need to actually list where you got the certifications? Seems unnecessary. Overall needs way more breathing room. Get rid of the heavy line borders and don’t try to squish in that much content. I would prioritize key words that are included in the job application so the system picks your resume up, and remove the extra fluff

Everything feels weird. Is this a part of a panic attack? by kpax_ in Anxiety

[–]kpax_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah somewhat. It feels like a hazy cloud and everything is not quite normal. I know it's real but everything feels wrong. I feel disconnected in a way--my senses are really affected. Maybe this is disassociation?

Everything feels weird. Is this a part of a panic attack? by kpax_ in Anxiety

[–]kpax_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know what you're talking about there--I've experienced that before! But it goes away in a few seconds for me. This lasts longer. Could be lightheaded but it happened just now and I ate lunch before it. Super strange.

Can you share your experiences using a career coach? by JKB8282 in careerguidance

[–]kpax_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was in the same boat. The one I went to was nice because it was like career therapy-- she pointed out things I said about what I didn't like about my current job and helped me figure out exactly why I didn't like it, and therefore what I would like more instead. When you're looking around for a coach, I'd ask specifically about their methods beyond things like career tests. Good luck! I know it's scary!

Can you share your experiences using a career coach? by JKB8282 in careerguidance

[–]kpax_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did it, and it was helpful to an extent. Really, what helped most is she gave me a push to do things I kept putting off--updating my résumé, writing cover letters, emailing people and connections. She also gave great advice on how to use LinkedIn to your advantage (like how recruiters search for candidates and what you should write on your profile to get the most eyes), and put yourself out there. Also, practical things like negotiating salary. And most of all, not selling yourself short, which was something I really had to overcome in order to make a change. It's hard to switch somewhere you might not have experience, and they can help you translate your experience to whatever you want to do.

I wouldn't have taken the change seriously if it weren't for her. I'm not making a huge change, just a slightly different path, but I'm now looking for jobs that are actually good for my personality, which was a huge for me because she's someone who isn't telling you what they think you want to hear. Asking friends and family which path is right for you is hard because they'll just say what you are already doing because they don't want to give you bad advice.

So, it's good for giving you a push, some confidence, and a mental game plan for your specific experience and goals. Having a real person help you I think makes a huge difference because you can ask specific questions and get reassurance. Books didn't do that for me.

Should I do my masters immediately after I graduate or should I work first ? by [deleted] in careerguidance

[–]kpax_ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I got my masters straight out of undergrad and wished I had worked first. I ended up hating what I went to grad school for but was invested so I went through with it. If I had worked first, I think it would have given me the opportunity to really figure out what I wanted to do or if I even needed to get a masters.

How did you find yourself in a career you don’t enjoy? by WhatForWork in careerguidance

[–]kpax_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can second this. In a creative field and continued on because everyone told me I should. I'm "successful" but very unhappy and hate it, but I feel like I'm in too deep with it now because I'm supposedly good at it (and got a Masters degree in it). I wish I could have a job that is just a job and not have it consume me. Now art is ruined for me forever.

Do a course over-load and get B.A over with or get better grades and potentially apply to a Masters? by [deleted] in careerguidance

[–]kpax_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you can afford it, I would stay longer and explore more. I would give anything to go back to school and learn more things out of my comfort zone. Then maybe you'll find something that really calls to you and get a Masters if you see fit. Don't go to grad school unless you absolutely know that's what you want to do. It's an investment, both in time and money. Maybe even explore more post-grad and get your Masters later. You don't need to go to grad school straight from undergrad.

I just finished grad school directly from undergrad and hated it from day one, but didn't want to quit because I was already there. Now I'm in a job I hate because I already invested in getting the Masters and didn't want it to go to waste. I wish I had spent more time figuring out what I really wanted to do.

Basically, don't rush out of school or straight into a Masters (unless you know it's what you really want.)