Have you ever heard the TikTok audio, “Imagine the day they see you again, and you are just… well.. better”? Well, I’ve heard it more times than I can count with the summer season soon approaching us. Under this sound, there is nothing but stories of trials, tribulations and success. I got to thinking, why have I never taken it seriously? What if they do see me again and go, “Wow, she looks great ” or “ I don’t think I’ve seen her glow so much.” I want to take a break, disappear and become the best version of myself possible.
So, what really entails this disappearing act you are about to play? It means truly prioritizing everything in your life and working on each problem in order. You don’t have to work in groups all the time. You don’t need to go to every hangout session. Give yourself a few weeks, a few months or even a few years and let’s get it together!
The first actual step is to disappear, and of course I don’t mean literally. This could mean not going to that event during class time, or that party on a Wednesday night (already a bad idea, but you get it). Make a list of your priorities and figure out what is hindering you from completing your goals. Most of the time, these distractions are brought on by our friends. Not to say you should never talk to them until your goal is complete, but if you went out to party one day, do you really have to be out again two days later? You know what’s stopping you! Now is the time to get uncomfortable and acknowledge it.
The next thing you want to do is focus on only one goal at a time and do it gradually. For example, if you want to start waking up at 7 a.m. every morning and you normally get up at 11 a.m., it would be almost impossible to do that realistically and healthily. You might do it and go right back to sleep or do it and struggle the entire day. Take it in increments. For the first week, try 10 a.m., then 9 a.m., and so on. This way your body has time to adjust and you form a natural routine around your new pattern.
Utilize social media properly. It doesn’t need to be mindless scrolling. Listen to music in the morning to make life feel like a movie. This not only makes you feel lighter, but it lowers stress levels and raises the dopamine levels in your body. This gives your brain almost immediate “feel good vibes” first thing in the morning. Put on your favorite podcast and immediately start your tasks. Put screen time on your phone. Try to make it a hassle to do anything that would disrupt the flow of your morning. You are entirely capable of doing everything you want in life, don’t let TikTok and Instagram ruin your plans. You could also try to stay off your phone entirely. Immediately starting your day on Instagram or TikTok can bombard your brain with information it was simply not ready for. Now, instead of being relaxed for the first few minutes of your day, you are stressed about everything else happening in the world. Take a breather and take those first few moments in the morning to yourself.
In college, I’ve realized that no matter how much you think you know, you simply don’t. You change, grow and evolve as a person. However, that doesn’t mean you have to evolve on college time, take time for yourself and focus on your goals. Go to the gym, take a walk, find an empty study room and finish your assignments or even prioritize your mornings by meditating and journaling. This is supposed to be a time to take for yourself and do what you need to do. Let this be your mental health reset, get off your phone, disappear and improve your wellbeing.