Let’s be honest, the 20’s are exhausting. Sometimes the days drag on, and you start to feel beaten down. We’re supposed to juggle being in school, working part-time (maybe even full-time), having a social life, and somehow still find time to remember to take care of ourselves. In our 20’s we are so focused on our futures, drilling ourselves to be successful, and to be having “the time of our lives”… but what about us? In order to succeed, to be able to focus and to actually enjoy ourselves we have to feel like ourselves.
Mental health days and “me time” are important. If you wake up feeling off, and you’re able, take the day off. Spend the day in bed. Stay in your pajamas all day and watch your favorite movies and TV shows. Netflix offers so many options, and who doesn’t love a good binge session? Re-watch the entire Grey’s Anatomy series and cry over the deaths of Lizzie, George and Lexie. Or weep over a heart-breaking Nicholas Sparks movie. My personal go to is How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, cheers me up every time without fail.
If Netflix isn’t what does it for you, I always find myself needing to escape mentally. Reading a good book, or writing all my thoughts down help put my mind at ease. Allow yourself to travel to elsewhere and immerse yourself in a story. Writing also helps with clearing your thoughts, and there is something fulfilling about seeing your thoughts worked out on paper. This is one of the only ways I am able to process everything going on in my head. Writing is a doorway for explaining the complicated emotions that are constantly running through my mind.
Sometimes you just need a change of scenery, so go on a mini adventure. Escaping your day to day life is necessary because the mundane routines we place ourselves into are often times the culprit of our melancholy moods. Hop in your car and drive to wherever you feel drawn too. This could be the beach, a park, or even the mall. Retail therapy is definitely a thing, and usually helps me… though not my bank account. You don’t even have to drive if you don’t want to. Go for a walk in your neighborhood, and explore the area.
If none of these ideas suit you, that’s fine. Just make sure you find what does, and you know when its time for a mental health day. It’s important to take care of yourself in all areas. After all, your body is your home.