Especially when adjusting to a new college schedule, balancing classes, a social life, and extracurriculars can feel overwhelming. However, it is important for you and your mental health to carve out time for your hobbies. I often do these things alone, as I think it’s good to spend time with yourself simply doing things you enjoy. This can be anything from watching your favorite show, to making art, listening to music, shopping etc.; anything that brings you joy.
For me, one of the things that helped initially was getting the other aspects of my life organized. Knowing when I had classes, and when assignments were due was important for me. This is so I know when I need to spend my time being productive, and so I can be ahead of deadlines. This also allows me to free up the weekends, because I do homework during the week.
Next, knowing how often I want to spend time with myself. I try to go to the gym 5-7 days a week, which is usually an hour or so with myself. This is good for me because I feel productive, but I can shut my brain off for a little bit. I also get a feeling of pride from it. Besides this, I like to make art, and go thrifting usually. For these, I can spend anywhere from an hour to five hours, depending on what kind of time I have that day. Either way, the mental break is what I’m striving for.
Actually making the time seems easier said than done, but two things that helped me were setting boundaries for myself, and integrating hobbies into my school schedule. I often don’t let myself do homework past 8 or 9, in order to ensure that I get good sleep, and some time for myself at the end of the day. Before a big test, or if I’m very busy, this doesn’t always work, but more often than not, doing homework during the day, allows for this time to relax at night. Additionally, whenever I have a free period, I try to take an art class. This is personal preference, but the break in the day to do something I enjoy, without feeling like I could be spending time in a class, allows for both a creative outlet, and a feeling of productivity. Taking care of yourself is important, so do what works for you!