You assure yourself that you just have to get through today… and then days slip into weeks, into months, into the ending of a year. You sit in an uncomfortable desk chair, head in hand, nostalgically thinking of the days that the sun seemed so endless…which are now replaced by chaotic schedules, bent pages of notes and seemingly impossible, paralyzing demands. Sound familiar? Yeah, it does to me too.
The mind of the college student is buzzing, chattering, bouncing from one to-do to the next, constantly swirling in a cocktail of stress, pressure and loneliness. As we prepare for our futures and pay for the past, we often do not stop to look at the present. Here are a few ways to not let 2018 slip away from you.
1. Break your own rules.
Being a serious college student, it can be hard to justify spending time without academics. Wanting to succeed isn’t a crime, but constant studying indoors can consume your entire year, making time pass by without strong memories. So, break your own rules: leave the textbooks at home and go out with your friends, drive with the windows down, feel the sunshine on your face.
2. Let go of what steals time.
How many hours do you spend obsessing over that one guy that won’t text you back? Or how do you feel at night after talking to that girl in the group that somehow manages to always say something passive aggressive? We spend so much time dwelling in our negativity, consumed by people that chip away at our year minutes at a time. Most of the stress in college is inevitable—so why not cut out the optional negativity? You don’t need people around that only drain your year of its radiance.
3. Take moments to slow down.
When getting caught up in the rush of things, schedule some time for yourself to just relax and slow down with whatever makes you happiest. Maybe you go to the beach and stare at the ocean, without bringing the textbooks or turn up music until it pounds through your heart and you sing along, without caring if you are getting the words right. Just take moments to breathe and remember that life is more than highlighters, scantrons, and formulas.
4. Try to be a little mindful every day.
You’ll probably catch yourself falling the “just have to get through this week” over and over again. Soon, weeks can pass without you even noticing, with no memories being made or moments that took your breath away. So maybe try being a little mindful every day; you are living at an amazing college and doing great things. Being cognizant of your own habit to rush through days can help you to make the most of your year, day by day.
5. Change your scenery.
We all get sick of that uncomfortable desk chair with stands as a symbol of the routine, the daily misery. So change it up! Try a different place in the library, maybe by a window with a great view. Or, take a trip, drive for hours until you are somewhere completely new. Push open the door of your clunky car and step somewhere new and as your shoes touch the sand, forget all the things draining your year.
Those days in the sun are not endless, so soak them up before another year ends!
All images via Google Images