12/18/16

Don’t Stop Having Fun

I’m sure there is something you have given up this semester, because you were too busy. Whether it was gaming, soccer or keeping up with your friends, usually there are a few things that we let slip through the cracks in order to keep up with our responsibilities. Most of the time, these are things that make you the happiest but we regard as less important than work, school and studying.

I think the number one challenge for first year university students is learning to balance everything in this new strange world we’ve been kicked into. Keeping up with readings, assignments, exams, work, clubs, volunteering, commuting AND putting aside time for yourself just seems pretty much impossible.

When I first started this blog, I was so excited to keep it regularly updated and write about all the adventures I had at university. So what happened? The short answer is that I got overwhelmed. Writing has always been something that I enjoyed, but when I found myself being nearly crushed by the workload of five courses, I decided there wasn’t enough time to write. Not only that, but I stopped doing virtually everything that had made me happy before. The past few months I didn’t keep up with any of my favourite TV shows, volunteered less and barely went out with friends. Really the only thing that kept me sane was texting, skyping and memes. So needless to say, I was quite a bit unhappier than I am now that my finals are over and I can freely sink into my bed like a blissful potato.

In retrospect, a big part of the reason why I was so stressed out this past semester isn’t because I was too busy, but because I didn’t put aside enough time for these fun activities. If I had, maybe I would have been more relaxed when it came to stressful situations, or maybe I would have been forced to become even better at managing my time since I would have less of it.

My point is, don’t be like me. People roll their eyes when it comes to mental health, but you have to keep your mind happy before you can use it to ace everything and be successful, right? The things that make you content and less exhausted shouldn’t be the first things to write off when the calendar gets too hectic. It isn’t wasting time to give yourself a break. (Can time even be wasted? Who are we to define what is useful and what is wasteful.) An actual one, not just time time you spend procrastinating. The first thing I did when my finals were over was to go play in the snow and take pictures with twinkly lights. I should have totally done that while I was freaking out during finals. It was the best.

I hope you have a wonderful winter break.

https://www.pinterest.com/anikairvine/emm-roy/