Let’s be real here, life is stressful. We are the most stressed generation yet, and mental health crises have been skyrocketing recently. Young people are extra susceptible to falling into “the hole” as I call it. With all the stresses of life, school, friendships, relationships, jobs, and extreme expectations, there’s no wonder why we are falling into the hole of anxiety, depression, and stress.
As a college student, I too have fallen into the hole of expectations trying to find time for everything and finish all my assignments. I assume if you’re reading this you have too. I have found one simple thing you can do for yourself to fight the stresses of life: taking your time.
I know it’s easier said than done. I’ll be honest though, I still have problems with it sometimes but I promise it will do wonders. Your body cannot be on autopilot all day every day. When it does, that’s when you experience burnout, and ultimately don’t do things to your full potential or ability.
When you plan just a little time for yourself every day and do something fun that you enjoy, your brain can take a step back and reset to prepare itself for the next thing.
I know you’re probably thinking, well I don’t have the time for that. Actually, you do, everyone does. I promise it doesn’t have to be a long time; just 15-20 minutes can be a godsend during a stressful day. The one true requirement is that it has to be continuous. A one and done thing doesn’t work and you have to build a schedule for it.
It works better if you can pick a designated amount of time, whether it be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or more. Once you know how long you want to do it, it’s important to pick a schedule, whether that be daily, every other day, or weekly. For me, I try to plan a 15 minute “me” break every day.
In the morning, I plan out my day of homework, classes, clubs, etc. and plan for when I want to take my break that day. When that time rolls around, I shut my brain off, put my homework down, and do something for me.
Doing something for you doesn’t have to be a big thing. It can be something really simple. You can color, go for a walk, or do basically anything else you enjoy. The most important thing is that it is something you genuinely enjoy and that you take pleasure in.
Once the time is up you can go back to whatever it is you were doing, and go back to your crazy and stressful life. But I promise that small amount of time will give you the restart and refresh you need to keep pushing forward.
Since I started taking and planning time for myself, I have felt my mental state improving and that I have a refreshed mind to complete tasks. Before, when I would push through without a break, I would be so tired and burned out by the end of the day. I would just keep pushing through to get things done no matter what the mental and physical costs were. That is not healthy but sadly so many people, especially college students, do it.
We wonder why our young people are always stressed and suffering. It’s because the world hasn’t taught them that it’s ok to take a break. The world needs to change so we can slowly improve our mental health.