End of the Year Slump

For the past two years, this time of year has put me in a slump. A sluggish unmotivated mood where I wish I can just stay in bed all day. I’m not sure what it is, but for the past couple of years I indulged in these emotions and halted my responsibilities. However, this year I caught the feeling early and acted quickly so I didn’t fall into a deep hole like I’m used to doing. Being in college is different and, although I thought about just shutting off my computer and ignoring “Zoom University,” I know acting in this matter would infringe on my long-term goals.  

I started to change up my routine. One thing I did was spend less time on social media. Usually when I woke up, I would scroll through Twitter or check the latest Snapchat stories. Instead, I decided that when I woke up, I would check my school email only. I did allow myself to be on social media sometimes when I was bored, but for the most part I was off of it. For some reason, this made me feel a lot better. I guess it’s because social media can be toxic; sometimes when I saw people breaking social distancing rules, it angered me and put me in a bad mood. Whatever the reason is, a break from social media is much needed until I feel better. 

I started to exercise way more. Working out gives me such an adrenaline rush that puts me in a better mood. I realized running is one of my favorite things to do. It helps me clear my mind and I get to see such cute dogs every time I go. I also started to lift weights. I want to become stronger for myself, and seeing my progress so far pushes me to go even harder in my workouts. A little motivation I need right now. 

Something I was extremely grateful for was an old friend checking up on me. This friend had checked up on me last year as well, when I isolated myself from my friends because I felt ashamed for feeling this way. We talked for about two hours and she reminded me that what I was feeling is very common. She is a big mental health advocate, and even started her own club in high school to normalize talking about mental health also leading a suicide awareness campaign. Talking to her about my emotions made me feel better and it was nice knowing someone cared enough to listen. 

If you’re reading this right now and are fighting your own silent battle, you’re not alone. Something to also keep in my mind is that this is only a temporary feeling. It is important to find things that uplift you during a hard time and take frequent breaks with your responsibilities. It’s okay to sleep in a little longer than usual or take a drive by yourself. Do whatever you need to do to cope with your slump, and eventually the motivation will come back- something I remind myself of every day. 

• break
• mental health
• motivation
• school
• slump