College is the last time we get to retreat home and rot all summer. Let’s make the most of it.
Summer is the best thing to happen to a burnt-out college student. The weather is nice, the sun is bright, and the energy is high. As much as I hate to think about it, our days of solace are nearly over. We have only a few more summers before we have to be real people in the real world. Being an avid summer enthusiast, I have picked up a few tricks to live in the sweet moments we miss when we are pale and cold. This is how to make the sweetness last.
The best thing about the summer is that it’s hot and sunny. Im a fair-weather girl. Growing up in Massachusetts has not allowed me adequate sun exposure. This means that when we do get a sunny day, you will catch me lying on any horizontal surface you can find, like a lizard on a rock. This is what I call “intentional sun time.” Do not confuse this with tanning. Tanning is goal oriented. You are on a mission. Tanning is sweaty and uncomfortable. Intentional sun time is just an experience. I prefer to do this lying down, but it will work vertically as well. Just close your eyes and pay close attention to how the sun feels on your skin. Where does it feel the hottest? What does your clothes feel like on your body? Is there a breeze? Notice every little detail you can. I like to think about the sound of the leaves when the breeze blows through them. Anything you can do to anchor yourself in the moment. Do your best to avoid a place where there is a lot of noise or people. Take a deep breath and just sit in it. Time slows down, and it is literally magic.
This one sounds a little trivial, but just hear me out. Go. Swimming. If you have a body of water near you, that is safe to swim in alone, that is ideal. This is not an ordinary swim. We are healing our inner child. We will be getting our hair wet. Get in the water as fast and chaotically as possible. Jump in or run and flop. That is crucial. I want to see handstands. I want you to see how long you can hold your breath or how long it takes to swim from place to place. Go underwater and let the air out so you sink. Work on your front flip. Allowing yourself this simple pleasure lets u hang onto the magic of childhood summers. Nobody is there to judge you. Pretend to be a water bender. After your inner child is satiated, get out and put your towel over your head. You will feel so perfectly tired.
Now this one is not exactly an activity but a frame of mind. We have our relaxing activity, and we have our fun activity. To maximize the summer reset, we have to work on our thinking patterns. Challenge your guilt and shame. Every day, when you feel guilty for laying in bed or not doing anything that day, be conscious of it. Why do you feel that way? What forces are putting these thoughts in your head? Do you really feel bad, or are you just not doing what society says you should be doing? You are not a money robot. Do not be a money robot. That’s how they get you. We are on this earth to experience simple joys like sunshine cheeks and cool water and ice cream. Many times, when I do this, I find that these feelings ease up if I let them. You can lay in bed all day. It’s one day. You will go to work or do that thing tomorrow. Reframing my mindset to ask why I have the feeling I do has changed my life. There is such a hustle culture happening right now, which is good for some things. But living your life according to rules written to ultimately put money in someone else’s pockets is no way to live.
These times are fleeting. So run to them and cling to them. Live in them fully. Each and every one of us deserves to be filled with the simple pleasure of summer. Use it wisely and thank yourself for the cold months. Be proud you made it here again. It is the time to celebrate your life and those of the people around you. So go have fun, and for the love of god, rot in your bed all day if the universe calls you to do so.
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