I think it’s safe to say that everyone, especially juniors and seniors, is crazy excited about being back in person. The food in the dining halls seems to taste a little better. Gameday was ridiculously packed which made the busses stop working. I may not have concrete evidence, but I was there. The world seems more colorful. After a year and a half of black and white, the colors might seem too bright.
I was looking forward to in-person lectures until I found out that I had to be in a room full of people. I found out that sometimes you can only catch up with so many people in a day before you’re burnt out. Not to mention, everything seems more real and high-pressure when it’s in person. I was waiting for this all summer, only to find myself coming home and falling asleep for 12 hours. It was too much.
If this is you, I first recommend talking to someone. That could be a friend, parent, or counselor at CAPS. Here are a few things that I’m doing to calm down and not get burnt out.
- Don’t overextend yourself.
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It’s super tempting to go for every executive position, take 19 credits, work multiple jobs, and hit up every party. As fun as it may seem, it’s not realistic. Too much stimulation and over-exertion will just lead to burnout. I personally dropped a few of my responsibilities this semester. It kind of hurts if you’re an overachiever, but if it’s an option for you, I highly recommend it.
- Have a nighttime routine.
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Anyone who has a solid routine at night can promise you that it’s super relaxing and beneficial when everything seems to hike up your anxiety. I’m not a psychologist but research shows that simply going to sleep at the same time every night seriously helps out with anxiety, which contributes to the overwhelming feeling you might get on campus.
- Spend more time at home.
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This sounds counterintuitive given the fact that we spent way too much time cooped up indoors for too long, but this was life for everyone for a long time. Instead of drastically changing your schedule, go to your classes and then take some time to chill out at home. Maybe continue watching TV shows like you used to, or take time cooking as you did during quarantine. That helped me a lot.
- Listen to some white noise.
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Here’s what white noise really is, but instead of explaining the science about frequencies, I’ll just chalk it up to a sound that essentially blocks out outside sound. You can also use noise-canceling headphones, use earplugs, or listen to calming music, but using this technique around campus gives me a few minutes of quiet time when you’re surrounded by a really loud crowd.
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Hopefully, we’ll get acclimated to this in-person format again, but for now, I’ll be using these tools to stay grounded and not be so overwhelmed.