Becoming a college student has been one of the hardest things for me to adjust to (and I’m still adjusting). I’m aware that everyone is different with different experiences so I won’t say this applies to all of us, but for me, I have never truly been challenged mentally and emotionally the way I’ve been since starting my freshman year at VSU. However, there have been some things that have helped a poor sensitive soul like myself and I thought to share them with you.
I am an emotional person and that’s something that is not going to change but if you’re anything like me you should learn to embrace that. Whenever something gets hard or overwhelming you shouldn’t give up but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to cry a little bit or a lot. In my 22 years, I’ve learned that it’s ok to baby myself from time to time, cry, and be upset. I have had so many roommates throughout the years and at times I wasn’t able to let myself be emotional in my room. It was then that I discovered the beauty of the front lawn.
Yes, it is more than just a tourist attraction for future students. This was my safe haven for years. If I ever felt like things were just too much I would slowly make my way to one of the many benches, the fountain or just lay out a blanket and sit. I liked going out at night because there weren’t as many watchful eyes. I could be as hysterical as I pleased and didn’t have to worry about explaining to anyone.
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The front lawn is a great place to destress.
Maybe you’re feeling a little in over your head, everything is cluttered, and you don’t know what your next move is. Take a moment and just walk out to the lawn, lay in the grass, stare at the stars. This would help me to disassociate from my problems for just a moment and appreciate something outside of myself.
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You can meditate on the lawn.
A big part of meditation is becoming innately aware of your surroundings, and then, in turn, putting that same focus on yourself. Close your eyes, breathe deeply in then out, focus on the sounds you hear around you and tune into that for a few minutes. Take a deep breath and turn the focus on yourself. What do you notice about your thoughts, your feelings, your body? This, for me, was always a good moment to access myself and figure out what might be causing stress and what my game plan should be to help myself.
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You can cry.
This is my favorite thing to do on the front lawn. I constantly have so many pent up feelings and I come here to let them out. I tend to play some music, and after a while, the tears start flowing. Often times my guides and ancestors will make certain songs come on my playlist with a message for me. Sometimes it just feels good to cry and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel bad for that.
I hope some of these things come in handy for you because they have helped me to maintain my sanity. 5 long years at this university and the stress hasn’t stopped but I changed how I’ve dealt with it and that seemed to make things a little easier.
– HCXO