By Mya Slawiak
The beginning of a new semester is full of many wonderful experiences, but it also has its fair share of struggles. Managing your workload along with your mental health is vital for students, whether in-person or online, though is often overlooked in the turmoil of trying to maintain a regular routine and good grades. I have been thinking of ways we can take moments throughout the day to focus on our peace of mind, and to stay connected with what is most important to us.
In the day and age of rising mental health concerns, whether it be diagnosed mental health disorders, lack of confidence in being an adult that has to feed yourself and remember to set an alarm without the promise of your parent shaking you awake to make sure you “get on that dang bus because I’m not driving you!”, or maybe more alarming feelings such as suicide or self-harm, it is essential that we take time to just simply be ourselves. Being an online student with an entire life with responsibilities to tend to along with classwork, I have realized that the only way to get through the day without jumping ship and running for the hills is to find time for the little things I enjoy. I am aware of how simple it sounds, but it’s easy to forget to slow down when there is so much required of you.
I have put together a list of activities, some physical and some mental, to give some ideas for little “brain breaks” through your day, the technical term meaning a “short-structed break that includes physical, mental, or sensory based activities”, though I like to think that any activity that makes you feel just a bit more like yourself would qualify. Whether you try these or they help you think of some of your own ideas, the most important thing is that you remind yourself why you are working so hard, to enjoy your life!.
Libraries:
If you have a public library in your area, congratulations! You have a plethora of resources at your fingertips if you sign up for a library card. Most libraries offer free cards if you are a resident of their service area, college students living in on-campus housing or within your college town are normally eligible to apply for library cards in the town they attend school. This varies by area of course, some libraries are a part of a larger system and some are independent. There are also libraries that offer non-resident membership for a fee. Here is a link to find a public library in your area to refer to their membership guidelines.
Many public libraries now offer more than just books or dvd rentals, it is becoming more common for libraries to offer Day Passes for local attractions like state parks, amusement parks, museums, etc. for one person or groups of people. MAny libraries also offer board games, sports equipment, yard games and even medical equipment for short term use in some cases. Take a day for yourself, find a new place, see some new things, play a new boardgame with people you enjoy being around.
Gardening; Yes, Even in a Dorm!
Hear me out, I know what you’re going to say. “I live with 2 other people and barely have enough room to exist. How am I supposed to grow a pepper?” I promise, if you have the desire to, there is a way! Cost is always a factor when deciding to start a hobby, so it’s understandable if the thought that something you could buy at the grocery store for three dollars could wind up costing you forty by the time you end up reaping the benefits, but growing a small collection of container friendly fruits or vegetables could not only be rewarding, may also
Remember the library discussion we just had? Well they can be handy for the start to this particular hobby as it can help to try something new when it doesn’t cost you so much in starting materials. Seed Libraries becoming more common means that there are many of us lucky enough to be able to simply “check out” a couple kinds of interesting plants to try your hand at. For containers, there are many cheaper options you can find in a store, but leftover jars or the bottom half of a water jug can be used for a ‘DIY’ version, another option would be to find cardboard boxes, they can either be used as they are or ripped into smaller pieces, wet down, and molded around any shaped object and left to dry for a biodegradable seed starting container. And for soil, though you are absolutely able to find store-brand potting mix for less than 10$ in some instances, many towns or cities have “free compost” days, or you can try your luck on peer-to-peer groups such as local “Buy Nothing” or Township groups on Facebook, you could be surprised by how many options there are for soil!
Exercise; I know, I know, that’s why I saved this for last.
We all know it, we all absolutely hate to hear it as a suggestion, but it does ring true. Exercise is a natural stress reliever, and trains your body to use its fight-or-flight response in the way it’s meant to. If you enjoy running or walking, make the time to do it even if it seems like you have none. Keeping your body moving, especially if you are an online student, is vital in keeping your mind at ease. We humans get restless, and when we are restless we can’t focus, and when we can’t focus, we tend to get anxious or irritable. I definitely wouldn’t be the first person to suggest a full workout, but even basic stretching before sitting to work on an assignment, or taking a nice walk around the block you find has the nicest scenery can make all the difference in not feeling so trapped in your working headspace.
All of these suggestions take time and energy, and as students we do not have much of either, so in hopes to help even in the smallest bit here are a couple shorter and less committed activities for taking a moment for yourself:
- Dance Party; throw on your favorite artist or playlist and go nuts. A typical suggestion, but an absolutely valid one, sometimes you just have to listen to some music and let your mind wander a bit.
- Read a book; No not a textbook, we have enough of those as it is, if you have a library card then use it. Find literally any book that catches your eye and go for it. Even if it’s a page or a chapter at a time.
- Yoga/Meditation; while falls under exercise, Yoga can be far less intimidating to someone who maybe feels they aren’t ready to go out and run or join a gym or buy equipment that will likely collect dust, and Meditation is the same concept, to put your mind on yourself, your body, and what it needs.
- Art; Draw, color, paint, whatever you can get your hands on. Get creative. Even if it is just for you, make something that makes you smile, or laugh depending on your art skills I suppose! Find space in your mind where you can make a mistake, and keep going without letting it deter you, because when something is just for you it does not matter if you color outside the lines or really really struggle to make your favorite character’s hands look right, it’s a way to just let loose and do something that isn’t just for another grade.
I hope that each and every person who reads this can find something that makes them feel just a bit more like themselves, even if it isn’t off this list, maybe it gave you some ideas of your own or maybe you just think I’m crazy for even considering we have time to spare. Either way, you deserve to feel like you are fulfilling your goals and your needs. Between work, school, home life and everything in between, our interests tend to fall off of our to-do lists and collect dust until we remember we are a person that enjoys certain things in life. Keep your interests and wants a priority just the same as your responsibilities, and even during the harder days you will always have something to make you smile.
If you, or someone you know is struggling with mental health, or thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Hotline, a 24 hour, toll free, and confidential resource available to anyone in emotional crisis or distress.
-Trevor Project 24 hour Hotline for LGBTQ+ community, call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678
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