I probably am not the only student who will honestly say that this semester has been overwhelming already. Perhaps it is the exhaustion carrying over from the previous semester or the sudden increase in work, but I know I am not alone with feeling this burnout.
Susquehanna already rolled along with their first mental health day. I feel like I am back in public school waiting for the next day off in the week. Those have always been exciting, but these days, I need them more than ever.
It has been a busy week for many of us. Some people spend their week moving back on campus, which is quite a huge jump from being at home. Others might still be trying to learn under the conditions of being at home. It is not an easy time.
Now, I am sure the title of this article is intriguing because it seems to have nothing to do with what has been said before. On my mental health day, I had dinner with some of the friends, who I have not seen in person for a couple of months now. Our little friend group always gets excited over our “dessert time,” and it has become a tradition for us to all get dessert together during dinner. It might not seem special, and possibly even normal, but it means a lot to us because it makes us feel like a family.
While we were getting ice cream, I fell back on my go-to flavor, cookies-and-cream. A dining service staff asked me if I was taking it to go. Without thinking much, I said yes along with my choice of ice cream cone. The next thing I knew, I was holding the tub of cookies-and-cream and whatever remained inside. I had seen this happen on other people’s Snapchat stories. I did not realize it would be my story to tell. I definitely yelled, “This is a dream come true!” There may have been a moment where I was waving the bucket over my head and dancing.
I think it is the little moments of my life that make my day better. It has been a struggle balancing my time while also getting enough sleep. I made it to my third day of getting five hours of sleep. My professor told me in all capital letters to take a nap.
However, I hope everyone gets their bucket of ice cream at the moment. It does not have to be a bucket of ice cream for people who are lactose intolerant. However, I hope you all have a moment that washes away some of the stress, or tiredness you are feeling. You are not alone when you are feeling tired this semester. It has not been an easy time, and you need to take breaks for yourself. As someone told me, if you cannot find time for yourself to even breathe, then you are not running on a healthy schedule.
Until then, if you are doing anything fun, be sure to follow safe COVID-19 practices, such as wearing your mask or social distancing. Spend some time with friends. If you are on campus and feeling homesick after spending so much time with family, give your family a quick call. Sleep is extremely important. Naps are optional, but amazing. Take a moment to get away from the computer because it can strain your eyes. Overall, just take care of yourself because you deserve to be awake to witness some amazing moments of your life.