I play many different characters in my own life. By day, I am a college student, by evening, I work as a Direct Support Professional and by late night into early morning, I write for Her Campus at Kent State University. No matter what time of day, I am also a friend, a daughter, a girlfriend and of course, a cat mom.
My life began to feel like a hurricane this past year, when, at some point I don’t recall, I became an adult. Suddenly, I was juggling work, school, a serious relationship, a social life, budgeting, chores and meal prepping. Time to relax quickly became a luxury I didn’t believe I had the option to enjoy.
I realized in the last few months that changing my perspective on what I believed to be boring routine tasks changed my mentality entirely. Finding quiet and joy in the mundane “in-between” moments became my eye of the hurricane. So, I will take you through a summary of a typical week in my life, but through the lens of everything in between my daily responsibilities.
Monday, my day starts with leaving my overnight shift at 8 a.m. and heading back to campus for biology. I walk from the parking lot to my lecture hall, the same path as always. As I walk, I force myself to focus on my breathing. Breathe in 1 2 3 4, hold 1 2 3 4, breathe out 1 2 3 4, grounding myself at the start of a new day and week. I make note of the leaves on the trees; they are starting to change color, and some crunch under my sneakers as I make my way to class. I notice the famous black squirrels scurrying up and down the tree trunks.
By the time I have made it to my biology lecture, my mind is clear, my body at peace. After biology, I get in my car and start the 40-minute drive back to my job. This drive used to feel long and burdensome, but after reframing it a bit, it has become my favorite part of my Mondays. I made a “Monday Drives” playlist on Spotify with my favorite upbeat music. Every song is almost impossible not to sing along to, and I smile the whole drive. By the time I pull into work, I am energized and ready to take on another shift.
Tuesday, I don’t have in-person classes. This is a day I spend mostly working on assignments for online classes. I make the day fun by studying with my boyfriend at a local coffee shop. A fun drink and a different atmosphere make my grueling homework assignments much more interesting. I love my drive to work these days because my favorite podcast releases new episodes on Tuesdays. I listen intently and laugh through the entire drive. I realize how much I love Tuesdays now. The simple act of finding something new to listen to on my once boring drive to work made Tuesdays my favorite day of the week.
Wednesdays are my busiest days, and I dreaded them at the beginning of this semester. My Wednesday morning is spent at the Stark Regional Campus, the only campus that had a specific class I needed this semester. I spent a lot of time being irritated about the drive to and from, but now, I look forward to my morning stop at Caribou Coffee. Caribou is only five minutes from Stark campus, but there are none in Kent. I pick up my mobile order, smiling at the barista who now knows me by name. I take a sip of my iced latte, the taste of which never fails to delight me. I walk to class, again, noticing the trees changing color, the sound of the leaves on the ground.
After my class in Stark, I make the 30-minute drive back to Kent, my “Wednesday Drives” playlist blasting through the speakers. I get to Kent about 20 minutes before my biology lecture, leaving me about 15 minutes to sit in my car and read. These 15 minutes have become such a highlight of my day; they are a much-needed pause. After my biology lecture, I have about an hour until my biology lab. I sit outside the student center, enjoying the blissfully cool weather, the light breeze and the smell of freshly mown grass.
These small moments in the fresh air improve my mood immensely, allowing me to recharge before three more hours of biology. After lab, I go home and watch “Dancing with the Stars” with my roommate. I love it when our nights end together because we both get so busy. I appreciate those small moments with her more than she could ever know.
Thursdays are another day without in-person classes and are a really great catch-up day for me. I begin my day with a trip to Aldi, a mundane task that I have grown to love in my adult life. When I get home, I spend longer than is probably necessary washing my produce and organizing my fridge.
I’ve found that spending free moments cleaning and organizing makes my space, and by extension, my brain, tidier and more manageable. Taking a free 20 minutes in between classes or assignments to tidy up sometimes makes all the difference for me. It makes taking care of my living space, among all my other responsibilities, feel less overwhelming.
Friday, the blissful end to my school week. I love doing my hair and makeup before class on Friday mornings. Something about it feels incredibly therapeutic. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, finding time to feel confident sometimes falls on the back burner.
On my walk to class, I make note of the trees and leaves just as always. I breathe in the fresh air deeply, letting it fill my lungs. I think about how much I have learned to enjoy my life through these small moments over the past few months. Each of the moments described is a perfect example of shelter in the storm that is my life.
I’ve grown to believe that is what adulthood is all about: finding peace in constant motion. So, I implore you to practice the art of enjoying the in-between, see if it makes a difference for you.