I would like to add something that I hope can be helpful for others. When I experience bittersweet moments instead of just purely happy or upsetting moments, it can be confusing for my body and sometimes create feelings of guilt or frustration. I find it helpful to first acknowledge that both gratitude and disappointment can exist simultaneously and then secondly ask myself which emotion needs tending to most urgently. Perhaps before I can fully and genuinely celebrate, I need to fully experience a grieving process for the fantasy and hopes that I created for myself and are now lost. Once I do this, I might find it easier to focus my attention on my new path and find ways to find beauty in the gratitude that exists for me. Or perhaps before I can fully grieve, I need to allow myself to feel relief and happiness for the newfound sense of safety that I feel. I repeat this process as often as I need to as it's common for celebration and sadness to move in cycles.
To me, I find the most success in approaching my self with a sense of curiosity and desire to listen to my body's sudden needs even if they don't make sense to my brain. Of course, it's important not to completely shut off my sense of judgement, but if my impulses are just strange and not harmful, I tend to give into them if that's what I need to do.
For those of you who did not match, you're in a tough position where you most likely need to grieve, but also have little time to do so if you want to get a jump on participating in Phase II. Even through the chaos, I hope you find time to tend to yourself and be gentle when possible. I know when I'm in similar situations, my body has the tendency to shove down the feelings until I deal with what's in front of me, and then unloads everything on me later in one sudden wave. If that sounds like you, my own experience would suggest that making sure that you tend to basic needs (sleep, food, hydration) and relying on some kind of support system will help mitigate the upcoming stress.
