two weeks

change is the one thing that is constant in life.

listen while you read: two weeks by grizzly bear

i’ve been developing a personal theory in my head that i’ve dubbed “two weeks”. it was initially inspired by the song two weeks by grizzly bear, embedded above, and obviously named after it as well. you may have heard it before—i’m fairly certain that it is commonly used in film and tv. but i first, re-heard it in an episode of how i met your mother a couple of months ago. you might recognize the iconic opening piano notes; they instantly grip you into a state of bittersweet, nostalgic, dreadful hope.

i hadn’t heard it in a while—probably because the last time i would’ve was in a tv show or movie—but still, to this day, i can’t remember what else it’s featured in. it took me a couple of weeks to find the actual song, because tv generally uses the opening piano section, and it was really difficult for me to google “song that goes ding ding ding oh oh ohhhh.” but those few seconds of sound pierced me enough that i needed to find it and listen to it again.

clearly, i’ve found it. and not only that, but it inspired an entire playlist, filled with songs that carry a similar feeling—a little bit of dread, a little bit of anger, a little bit of hurt, but a lot of hope. it’s different from a playlist you make filled with sad songs that you listen to to cry to (trust me, been there but SO unhelpful). instead, it’s music that stirs up my insides, pushing me to be better, to change.

because the thing is, change is scary. real change is hard. and change is uncomfortable. but this playlist stirs up that comfort we sometimes find in sadness and turns it into hope. it pushes you into that uncomfortable middle ground—where you’re not quite where you want to be yet, but you’re no longer where you were.

listen to the playlist here. let’s be friends on spotify ;)

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the two weeks theory

the thing about two weeks is that it’s both a very long time and quite a short amount of time, depending on how you look at it:

• “my assignment is due in two weeks”

• “i’m moving away in two weeks”

• “we’ve only been together for two weeks”

• “we haven’t spoken in two weeks”

depending on your feelings about each of these, you might react completely differently to the same timeframe. that’s part of the beauty of my two weeks philosophy: it works both ways.

the actual theory came from the real presence of this timeframe in my life, but the song perfectly soundtracked this period of my life. it was something i was already working on long before i found the song, i was attempting to give myself time before getting dramatically upset about things that bother me, because generally, very small things cause me to spiral into a chain of defeat.

essentially, the two weeks theory is my way of giving emotions time to breathe. it’s a self-imposed emotional waiting period of sorts—not to suppress feelings, but to process them intentionally. it allows me to step back, avoid spiraling, and see how much can change before reacting. whenever something small happens that i don’t like, or unpleasant memories come up, i tend to catastrophize. i am actively working through black-and-white thinking, and this theory helps me balance both the “black” and the “white”. on one hand, i tend to feel completely defeated by minor setbacks. but on the other, i also over-set goals for myself, creating rigid, unrealistic plans that set me up for failure. when those plans don’t work out, i spiral again, believing i’m a failure. it’s a cycle that feeds into itself.

my theory helps to combat this type of thinking, as i have been working on allowing myself to process feelings slowly, and with intention, instead of pushing them all down, or conversely, having a mental breakdown. the idea is that i give myself two weeks to wait out situations and feelings. it’s different from suppressing emotions, my previous alternative, because i’m no longer ignoring my needs or invalidating my feelings, i’m just allowing myself a structured way to process them. small things can feel overwhelming in the moment, especially when you’re prone to spiraling, so having a set timeframe helps me break that cycle. It’s like permitting yourself not to panic right away. for bigger issues, it has been giving me space to reflect without getting stuck in the emotions too soon. processing bad memories takes time, and this approach is helping me gradually work through them, and it’s actually shifting how i engage with difficult experiences.

tomorrow knows what tomorrow knows, you can’t make it get here sooner

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i recently read that to fully operate in emotional discernment, you have to take mental inventory of what’s affecting you. you have to identify what’s at the root of your emotions before you can fully process them.

for me, that takes time. my first reaction is always dramatic, end-of-the-world thinking. but when i allow myself to sit with something for a while, i gain a clearer perspective. this has actually helped me stay more present in my life (a goal of mine for 2025), because i’m no longer fighting a tornado of thoughts in my head.

by surrendering to the present, you gain wisdom in the process. about yourself, about your circumstances, about your goals and aspirations, about what you truly need: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

sometimes you mix the past with the present and your happiness disappears

this has helped me feel so much more at peace and content with my life. when i give myself the opportunity to step back and take time to allow my emotions to run their course—to die and have maturity set in—i have been able to turn my pain into purpose, my anxiety into contentment, and depression into joy.

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the two weeks perspective is not just about delaying reactions but also reminding yourself how quickly things shift. two weeks is long enough for emotions to settle, for situations to evolve, and for you to see things from a different angle. having a “two-week mindset” is like a built-in reminder that nothing stays the same, which is comforting when you’re in a bad moment. but it also works the other way—things will change, whether or not you’re ready, so you don’t want to waste the moment you’re in now.

i’ve been using this to mark time in a way that feels hopeful and grounding. for example:

• in two weeks, i’ll be on vacation with my family, in a completely different country

• in another two weeks, i’ll be practically done with the semester

and again, looking at it the other way around: these two weeks will pass, whether i dwell on things or not. so i’ve also been learning to be grateful in every moment.

every morning on my walk to school, i make sure to look up. i take in the fact that i’m in the heart of london. i walk across waterloo bridge with confidence and hope, with the sun shining on my face (i swear it’s always sunny on my walk to school), and i get to admire the skyline, the beautiful architecture, big ben and the london eye to my left.

not exactly the view i’m talking about (because apparently i’m living too much in the moment to take a picture from the waterloo bridge) but you get the point.

ultimately, this is kind of a personal memento mori, but instead of focusing on mortality, it’s about change and movement.

memento mori, for those of you wondering, is a latin phrase that means “remember that you will die.” it sounds morbid, but in philosophy, it’s actually a call to appreciate the present and not get caught up in temporary struggles. my two weeks philosophy is a similar reminder, but instead of thinking about death, it’s about impermanence.

“this moment feels overwhelming, but in two weeks, everything could look completely different.”

so please, look up. admire where you are right now. because in two weeks, everything will be different. ★