I turned 22 on a Monday.
Birthdays can be a bittersweet time for students at university. It’s hard being away from family
and also under pressure to have the most fun, perfect college-kid birthday parties, which come
with the notion that college is supposedly the best time in one’s life – when you meet your future
bridesmaids and best friends. Maybe the group chat wasn’t blowing up the way you imagined.
Maybe the day felt quieter than you hoped.
And that’s okay.
College can be a more lonely and isolating time than we like to talk about, but it’s good not to
wallow in these moments, especially when our birthdays roll around. There’s this unspoken
performance factor around college birthdays; a pressure to curate a movie-worthy night – a
hundred friends, perfect outfits, flawless photos, even if that doesn’t reflect our real lives.
With birthdays, there’s also this anxiety of getting older and living up to the expectations you
kept for yourself. College life is loud and chaotic. We barely feel like we have time to breathe, so
why not make your birthday a day where the world feels a bit softer and life feels a bit more
cherished? After all, another year of life is a privilege which is far too often overlooked.
Recently, I spent my 22nd birthday on a Monday. Underwhelming, right? Well, let me tell you
how I turned this supposedly disappointing birthday into my ideal day, one that could also be
yours.
The key to having a good day under your can control is to start it intentionally. Wake up in your
favorite pjs and take in the weather of the day, which is chosen just for you. Put on music that’s
indicative of your birthday; for example, I started my 22nd by playing ‘22’ by Taylor Swift, a
classic. These tactics may seem small, but they set the tone.
Start the day feeling good about yourself. Wear a new outfit. Do your hair and makeup.
Romantacise the mundane. Now, if your birthday lands on a weekday, you probably have school
and classes, but don’t let that get in your way. Get your favorite breakfast or cook it. I grabbed a
matcha before heading to campus as a little birthday treat. Your birthday is the perfect excuse to
indulge in your favorites, even the ones that aren’t the healthiest. Birthdays are a mental game.
Feed your soul!
Now, before you get back home, make sure to pick up your favorite food for dinner and a sweet
treat to help you make your birthday wish. Oh, and remember to grab a candle if you need it! I
like to put on my favorite show, record, or movie and let myself unwind. Finish the night by
making sure you still allow yourself your birthday wish. I finish every birthday by writing down my
feelings about the year prior, my hopes for this new year, and the whole day in general. Though
our birthdays may not feel the best at the time, we have a nostalgic feeling about them later in
life, and it’s the best when you can go back and relive your feelings about them through your
own words. You also tend to feel more gratitude for the year of life you’ve lived and how much
has transpired in your personal growth. It’s hard for you not to feel excited about what the next year of life has in store for you.
Sometimes the quietest celebrations are the ones that stay with us the longest.