It’s back-to-school season. Embarking on a new school year, particularly in college, is symbolic in many ways. New beginnings are always an opportunity for growth. But, at the same time, it presents new challenges.
While returning to school is an exciting time, adjusting to a new schedule can be overwhelming. When classes, extracurriculars, and work all demand chunks of time out of your days, setting aside personal time is often put on the back burner of our priorities.
The little things that we rarely had to worry about throughout the summer break also make their return once school ramps up. Working in meal times between classes, finding moments to study or work on an assignment amidst a hectic day, navigating a balance between your social life and academic responsibilities, maintaining a clean room to return to after being gone all day — the list truly goes on and on and on.
While we’re preoccupied with furthering our education, participating in clubs, and making college memories, it is easy to lose your connection with yourself.
Time doesn’t slow down, especially in college, but that does not mean it’s impossible to box some personal time into your schedule. If you can find time for everything else, you can also incorporate ‘me-time’ into your plans!
I have always found that the summer is a perfect time for me to take a step back from the regularly scheduled chaos, slow down, and spend some time with myself. I often long for this sense of peace with myself when I’m away at school again. Everything happens so fast, and while I’m usually having tons of fun — anxiety is often lingering.
So, I’ve found that prioritizing myself helps me maintain a sense of calm. Going through the motions grows exhausting, and neglecting intentional moments of mindfulness makes the school year, and life in general, dreary.
While my life airs on the edge of spontaneity, I’ve made a conscious effort to implement these ‘me-time’ moments into my life.
- Exercising
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There is nothing more rewarding than setting aside time to move your body, following through with the commitment you made, and experiencing that post-workout endorphin rush. Whether working out for you looks like yoga, weight lifting, the hot girl walks, or something else — fulfilling your decision to move your body for yourself will have you feeling grounded, proud, and strong (mentally and physically!). As always, work out intuitively and take rest days accordingly. Finding your fitness niche, and incorporating it into your life will be a much-needed break from everything else. It’s your time to focus on you.
- Creating
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We spend a lot of time working. Whether we are completing assignments, studying for exams, picking up internship tasks, cooking meals, leading events for our extracurriculars, and so on, we are constantly outputting. However, designating a creative outlet on top of these demands has helped me maintain a sense of self. When you are creating, you are creating for yourself. Ranging anywhere from art, music, writing, and everything in between — when you decide an activity will simply be for your own fulfillment, something within clicks. Developing a routine that separates your motivation from attaining a good grade or more money, allows for your soul to flourish. When you are creating simply to create, you are not tied down to the stresses of school, finances, or life.
- Relaxing
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Literally just relaxing. Taking a moment to listen to yourself, slow down, and be present makes all the difference. While you might not necessarily be etching “relax at 4:30” into your daily planner (or maybe you should!), taking time to embrace calmness shows care for your body, mind, and soul. Whether your ideal of relaxation is napping, reading, listening to music, indulging in a mini Netflix binge, et cetera, you need to find time to implement it into your routine. You deserve a break! You deserve calmness and a sense of oneness with yourself that can only be achieved through recharging idly. There is no shame in resting, you work hard enough as it is.
As with most things in life, these habit changes are easier said than done. So, start small. That could look like a half hour of journaling, or an extra loop around campus after class listening to your favorite podcast or going to bed an hour earlier than usual (even if you don’t immediately fall asleep, just chilling out is important!). These little things add up, and soon enough you’ll start to feel more in control. Your future self will thank you.
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