Mental health sucks. It’s unpredictable and taxing. One day, you’re having the best time of your life and the next, you realize your past two weeks have been terrible, and you did not even realise. Waking up, your drink spills, you’re asked stupid questions, and readings don’t make sense. We’ve all been there. Sometimes, a nap fixes it, but sometimes it doesn’t. So, what do we do? It’s not like we can pack up and go back home to be coddled and spoiled; I mean, I can, but that’s just a perk of living close by.
Campus life is tiring because we live the same monotonous life in the middle of nowhere. But we can always find joy in the little things. So, start with your room. Build it how you like; add scents you favor and tiny plushies and plants. Put up the lights you want, and step out. Go for walks with or without people—maybe a trip to HnC (a guaranteed favourite) or around the campus. But, don’t do it fast as though it is a chore to complete, and take your time. Slow your pace and enjoy your music, noticing the most minor things around you.
Thankfully, campus is very green, with many cute and calming places to walk around. Listen to a bougie string quartet or head-banging metal or even just to the bugs, the bats, and the people around. This is one of the best things we can do to calm down. Although it doesn’t feel like it, we have a lot of space. We have the Open Air Theater, the library, the benches placed everywhere, and the little patch of grass between the tennis court and the cricket nets, all of which make up pretty comfy spots for introspection.
All this sounds easy and simple, but it is tough, I won’t lie. Walking for a bit listening to Metallica won’t solve all your problems, but you’ll feel better (unless heavy metal is not your thing). But all we can do is try. Try to go for a walk, try to clean up your room, try to do the readings, try to spend time with others, and try to eat a good meal. Balancing everything is difficult. The lines get blurred; some priorities are more important than others, and somewhere, we feel guilty, which messes up our minds irrevocably.
One thing we always need to remember, that will always ground us, is that the only thing that will ever matter at the end of the day, the month, and the year is ourselves. All we can do is pick the right people and respond to them how we feel and know best. It’s okay if you mess up and your balance is askew. If you’re with the right people, they’ll treat you right if you do the same. Take your time. Contrary to popular belief, you do, in actuality, have a lot of it.
As Hannah Montana says,
“You can change your hair, and you can change your clothes
You can change your mind, that’s just the way it goes
You can say “goodbye,” and you can say “hello”.
And by these lyrics all I’m trying to point out is that, we have so much time to do the little things that make us happy. We can meet new people, forgive and forget the old, buy new clothes or small accessories, talk on call with the people we love for hours, paint a picture or do a dance. Slowly, the time will go by but it would’ve been yours entirely.
You have the time and the mind to do what you want, when you want, and how you want. So, don’t worry and take a deep breath. You’ll be fine, and you’ll meet the people who’ll love you and do everything you want to, all in good time. Your mental health may suck, but you don’t—pinky promise.