Throughout my first semester at Boston University, I found myself constantly suffering from cabin fever. I would roll out of bed to take my online classes (sometimes the laptop came into bed with me) and then stay in my room for the remainder of the day to complete homework assignments. On some days, I wouldn’t even go outside and eventually, this became my routine.
When I returned home for winter break, my mom, as most do, asked me every little detail about my time at college and about all the amazing adventures I had gone on. Upon replying to her question I realized that all I did while I was at school was eat, sleep, and “go” to class. I was sad, to say the least, and felt as if I had wasted a whole semester. I barely discovered the city, I rarely got dressed up, and I hadn’t even been inside a majority of my college’s buildings. While we are in a pandemic, there were still many activities I still could have safely participated in that I chose not to because of my lack of motivation.
As a result, I made it my New Year’s resolution to overcome my cabin fever and “normalize” my college experience as much as I could in a safe way. Here are six things I’ve decided to try out this semester!
- Get dressed every day
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When I say “dressed up,” it doesn’t necessarily have to be a ballgown and a full face of makeup. I like to have a morning routine where I simply change out of my pajamas, whether it be jeans, leggings, or sweatpants. I also like to wash my face, do my skincare routine, and put on a light face of makeup (although I admit, sometimes I get a bit lazy on the makeup). Keeping up with a morning routine helps me make sure I don’t go back to bed and motivates me to get out of my room.
- Take classes somewhere other than your dorm room
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The hardest part of going to online classes is having the luxury to stay inside your room. You don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to make sure you get to class on time so instead, you set your alarm for five minutes before class and log on to Zoom from your bed. While it can be nice to sleep in, taking your classes somewhere other than your room will motivate you to get ready, focus more on your classes, and allow you to get outside. I’ve been taking my classes at the George Sherman Union but some of my friends have also taken classes in the library as well as the dining halls.
- Exercise
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Exercising can improve mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative moods by improving self-esteem and cognitive function! During high school, I was a part of the volleyball team, which helped keep me in shape and taught me the benefits of teamwork. I was definitely not “D1 worthy,” so I stopped playing in college and lost that element of exercise. I wanted to start working out again so I began Chloe Ting’s January Challenge with a few of my friends. For me, it is much more fun to work out in a group of people but because of COVID-19, we cannot be physically together. Instead, we FaceTime each other while we do the workout to maintain our sense of community. There are also opportunities to go to the FitRec on campus as well as doing free online workouts over Zoom.
- Learn a new hobby
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I have never been one to call myself an “artist,” but quarantine introduced me to painting. My roommate and I have painting nights every so often where we listen to music and paint pretty basic images we find on Pinterest. While we are painting in our room, it’s a better activity than sitting on our phones for hours on end watching Tik Toks. I have also picked up the ukulele. My roommate has her keyboard in our room and we’ll have the occasional “jam sesh” where we sing and play music. While I’ve never been particularly musical, I had a ukulele that I won from a festival when I was a kid, and my mom mailed it to me so I could learn. There are so many easy and affordable hobbies to take up. Binge-watching the Bachelor is fun but I found my constant attachment to technology heightened my cabin fever.
- Go on at least one adventure every week
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Balancing schoolwork and downtime can be difficult, but finding that time to do something fun by yourself or with your friends is extremely important to keep yourself sane. While we are in a pandemic, there are still a bunch of fun and affordable things to do around Boston. After all, it is a college town! Whether you go on a walk or try somewhere new to eat, any kind of adventure beats staying inside 24/7.
- Join a club
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The last thing I’ve done to overcome my cabin fever is joining new clubs. While all of them are mostly remote, joining clubs has given me a sense of “normalcy” during these abnormal college times. They have also given me the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and learn new skills.
These small measures have given me a sense of normalcy and a healthy routine to follow. If you’re struggling with cabin fever, start with baby steps and know it might take a while to adjust. See you on campus!
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