As college students, we are constantly managing an imbalance of nearing adulthood and childish partying. We are stuck in an awkward purgatory, not knowing where we stand in regards to maturity. People our age are beginning professional careers, partying on a Tuesday night, starting a family, or eating ice cream out of the tub because they forgot to go grocery shopping. There’s no genuine “norm” or basic model for how us 20-something-year-olds should act, yet there seems to be a constant pressure to be doing something different.
Frat guys enjoying a party and eating microwavable meals are told to focus on their studies and career. Yet, the girl studying in Norlin on a Friday night is told to embrace her college years and live it up with friends. So, who’s “right”?
Growing up isn’t one-size fits all and neither is reaching adulthood. However, embracing your childhood and young years can be incredibly beneficial. Regardless of where you are in your life, the positives of being childish are enduring. Being childish can release endorphins, which helps with reducing persistent stress and managing depressive symptoms. These benefits can even work to improve physical health and wellbeing. Also, being childish helps to facilitate creativity and innovation. When we are stuck in the serious, professional attitudes of adulthood, we often lose our creative edge. Being childish helps to bring back a sense of wonder that shapes how we think and imagine.
So, how can we embrace our inner child while dealing with the insatiable critique of living? It’s simple: recognize free will. Meaning, know you have the ability to engage in childish behaviors and act on it. Whether that means taking an extra long nap, drawing a landscape despite an immense lack of artistic ability, or hitting up the nearest park playground, you can and should embark on activities that embrace your inner child. Whatever it means to you, engage in play. The opportunities for play are endless; it’s all reliant on your own free will.
Though, it’s important to note that being childish isn’t recommended all the time. Peter pan syndrome, an unofficial diagnosis for those who have difficulty entering adulthood, is not the goal here. While being childish isn’t always appropriate, finding time for it is critical. Creating space for our inner child to emerge can offer a break from the pressures of our lives and allow us to integrate a more creative lens in our day-to-day being.
If there’s anything to take away from the idea of embracing being childish, it’s to allow yourself the autonomy of letting your individuality and imagination take hold every once in a while. Without it, we risk falling into discontent and burning out. Emerging into adulthood is intimidating and stressful, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid the things that spark joy and innovation. In fact, those things are what makes adulthood empowering. So, go ahead: engage in play and know wholeheartedly that there is nothing wrong with being childish.