“I think even though I complain about going to dance a lot, I’m very grateful for it because it’s so late, and I’m normally so tired, but when I get there, and I’m with everyone, it’s so nice to be removed from the homework and studying scene and be active in a fun way. And it’s all student-run so it’s very free-form, and it’s just a good two hours to be present and with a different group of people and doing something that I love, which is dancing.”
– Sydney, University of Michigan Junior
It becomes all too easy to drag our feet when it comes time to go to a scheduled meeting or commitment, even when it’s something we are passionate about. We get in such a rut living a stagnant life centered around school work that doing anything else seems like a tremendous effort or even a misallocation of time.
Getting involved in something active or finding an exercise class you love to take or joining a club that focuses on something non-academic is incredibly rewarding. It is a way of forcing yourself to block out part of your day for doing something that isn’t either going to the library or lying down on your phone. It is essential to creating a well-balanced life when it is up to you how to structure your own time.
Personally, I know when I hit that 5:00PM wall and all I have done is some half-hearted reading for class and lots of time on my social media feed, I feel less than fulfilled. Going to a yoga class, joining Wolverine Support Network for an hour of talking to new people, exploring a new coffee shop, or even going for a walk on a part of campus you normally don’t explore can give you more energy and something new to be grateful for. So maybe give it a try this week!