I received a phone call from my mom two weeks ago, and after we talked for a bit, I admitted I was stressed. I was completely freaking out about anything and everything. About 10 minutes after our phone call ended, my mom called back, and without a hello, asked, “Why don’t you come home this weekend? I think it’ll be good for you to get away for a bit.” So, I did. I booked a train for the next morning and packed my bags that night. I canceled all of my plans for the next day and the rest of the weekend. And it was after that weekend at home that I realized how important it is to have a sense of home wherever you go. A place to forget and destress whenever you need it.
College is stressful – we all know this. Dealing with and managing the stress is another story. Every year I began the fall super happy and excited to be back with my friends and typical routine. However, those moments of happiness and bliss don’t last long. I soon found myself in the dumps, but for what reason? I have no idea. I just seem to bubble up the stress and anxieties of school so much that I quite literally breakdown. Multiple times after the beginning of the school year, I find myself not being to handle all that comes with it.
So, I go home. I know many people do not have the luxury of being able to run back home, but it seems like the only thing able to re-energize and refocus myself. I know it’s never good to run away from your problems, because eventually they’ll catch up to you, but sometimes a break or a second look at the situation is healthy.
I tend to casually come home on the weekend when life and school just begin to be too much. Going home and simply taking my mind off of things, even if just for a short few days, always seem to leave me happier and more myself.
So, I recommend you find your sense of “home” – whether that be a particular part of the city or a certain café or restaurant. Having that when you’re away from your real home is vital to re-centering and grounding yourself when your thoughts seem to take you away. Remember to take time for yourself to destress and lessen your anxieties.