At Colby, there seems to be so little time. Being busy with work, friends, clubs, and sports, we are all occupied with some kind of activity. Along those lines, however, I find that I still waste my time browsing the internet, checking up on Instagram, and online shopping. Although those things can be easily blocked if necessary, I thought of a few things that we can stop wasting our time on to have a healthier mindset. Here’s to a happier, healthier semester, ladies!
- Comparing yourself
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I’ve spent countless hours scrolling through accounts on Instagram–and it’s so unhealthy. It’s easy to compare yourself to celebrities, Instagram models, even friends and classmates. But think about it: the amount of time you spend wishing you looked like someone, or acted like someone, can be spent on improving yourself and your self confidence!
- Striving to be perfect
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This can fall along the lines of comparing to others, but the pressure to be perfect can come from yourself, too. Wasting energy and time on small things to be “perfect” (remember: perfect people do NOT exist!) is super toxic and not achievable. As long as you’re trying your best, whether in class or with friends, you are doing enough, and you should reward yourself.
- Body image
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Some of us have been through times stressing about dietary restrictions in order to look a certain way. But why waste your time obsessing over how you look? You are beautiful, no matter your weight, body size, or the clothes you wear.
- Pleasing other people
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If you go around trying to please every single person you interact with on the daily, you must be exhausted! Obviously you should treat everyone with respect (see my #10), but you don’t need to go above and beyond and lose yourself just to please people.
- Relationship Issues
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My mom always says don’t let boys ruin your college experience, and it’s true! I am super guilty of wasting my time on this. Fighting with your SO is anxiety inducing and can shut you down, causing you to be super unproductive. Although it’s important to talk things out, consider your top priorities and check in with yourself to see if these arguments are truly worth your time. Try to enjoy your moments with your SO, not focus on the bad.
- Social media
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We are all so guilty of this, just admit it. Sometimes to kill time, I’ll just scroll through Instagram or Snap knowing I’ve looked through all of my feeds already. Put your phone down! What really helped me is looking at my screen time–Instagram and snapchat were definitely my top two that I wasted literally hours every day. Thinking about what I could’ve done in those hours is actually terrifying.
- Being on your phone
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You know what people always say: live in the moment. That’s exactly what our phones don’t allow us to do. We’ve all seen those group of friends sitting together in the dining hall while all on their phones… not talking to each other. Sometimes I’m so focused on taking pictures during vacation, or trying to get the best angle for my story, that in retrospect, I miss out on the “full experience.” Although photos are fun to look back on, try to limit the time you spend on your phone when you’re out and about, or with your friends.
- Doing things you hate
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Uh hello? Who wants to waste their time doing things they absolutely hate, and be miserable all day? No one! Obviously, you need to do your homework and go to class (which most people at Colby love to do, which is very good), but if you don’t enjoy being in a certain club and you’re only in it because your friend dragged you, or if you don’t enjoy your major, no one is forcing you to stick through it. It’s your life, and you get to live it. Make the changes you want so you can look forward to your daily activities.
- Toxic people
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As you navigate yourself through Colby, you’re going to, if not already, meet toxic people. They could be toxic in the way that they treat you, treat others, or do things that you are uncomfortable with. Cut. Those. People. Out. You want to surround yourself with peers that uplift you, not make you feel down.
- Not treating others the way you want to be treated
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It’s such negative energy to be around rude people–so why would you want to be that person that brings others down? Stop it with the snide remarks and rude comments. Being positive and respectful not only makes other people feel better, but will make you feel much happier too. As the old saying goes, we should all treat others with respect, the way we want to be treated right back. It’s better to spend your energy and time acting respectfully, not bringing others down.
A healthy mindset is the foundation to having a happy, healthy semester. Even though some days will be better than others, it is so important to remind yourself of the good aspects. Remember that you are never “stuck” in a bad situation–there is always a way to fix it!