We are all burnt out right now; it is undeniable and pathetically obvious. The monotonous lull of each day’s specific balance of classes and meals is both draining and mind numbing. It’s a cycle that we really can’t escape from; a cycle that makes life dull. Though fall on the hill is stunning, the 4:30 pm sunsets are unsettling, and walking back from Kimball in the pitch black at 6pm is full-out depressing. We are at an in-between point. Teachers are squeezing in exams before break, and students are walking around like zombies.
How do you find joy when every day feels the same? Make peace with your routine, embrace your reality, and accept that this is where you are meant to be and what you are meant to be doing. Let me guess, each morning, the alarms beeps, you begrudgingly get out of bed, put on a sweatshirt, wash your face, brush your teeth, go to class, and eat your food (probably the same meals each day), with a handful of sighs and eye rolling sporadically thrown into the mix. While this is understandable, and extremely common, it is no way to live. As someone who has been doing this for the last month, believe me when I say, I know how hard it is to metaphorically (and literally sometimes) stay asleep.
My prescription? Choose to wake up. As cliche as it sounds, and is, plan and seek out tangible sources of excitement for yourself. Open your eyes and notice the weather changing. Feel the crisp air touch your skin and greet you every morning. Smell and sip your morning coffee. Anticipate it. Look forward to it. Pause, and breathe, and sit with yourself. As you walk down the library steps, while the light is golden, and the leaves are red, recognize your place here on this campus. When you sit in the library, in the midst of the bookshelves, proudly situate yourself in your academic environment. Remember what you did to get to this moment, and think of everything you have achieved since you have been here. College is what you make of it, and that starts with accepting what you cannot change, and changing what you can; your attitude. Choose to wake up, ground yourself, and find peace. The semester is almost over, and you will never get it back. Open your eyes and look around before everything has changed. I’m sure you’ve made memories that you don’t want to forget.
Happy Red Re-Release weekend. There is your first thing to smile about.