College is supposed to be the best four years of your life, but they can also be the most stressful. Between classes, exams, full-time and part-time jobs, fraternities and sororities, it can be hard to have that desired ‘me’ time.
According to Forbes, there is one thing you must do before putting yourself first: you need to figure out what you want to accomplish in your ‘me’ time.
It might seem strange to think about what you like to do. It might seem like the common knowledge to know what exactly makes you happy when you’re not busy.
However, with all of the stresses of daily life, it is easy to get caught up in the hectic and demanding chaos of daily life.
In this chaos, rarely do we think of ourselves, which is more important than you’d think.
Self-care and enjoying life should seem like priorities, but often they are pushed to the side. Taking time to figure out what you want as a person to enjoy life is one step.
Do you want to hit the gym? Catch up on your favorite shows? Or maybe relax with a weekly bubbly bath?
After figuring that out, be sure to put it at the top of your priority list.
Forbes also says that a busy schedule should never be your excuse for not caring about yourself.
Because college students have so much on their plate, it is imperative to take care of ourselves before taking care of anything else.
Another way to ensure that you get ‘me’ time is waking up an hour before you usually would. In that hour, you can either be productive so that you end the day with what will relax you, or you can start your day by relaxing.
You can take your time in the shower, sip coffee while reading The Outlook, or watching the sunrise.
If you choose to start your day by relaxing, you will most likely be more productive throughout the day.
A freshman social work student, Kayla Greiss, believes it is difficult to keep up with what she loves doing. She was a cheerleader for the past 14 years but had to put that aside when she started college.
“With my classes, assignments and my job, cheerleading just wasn’t possible for me this year. I know how time consuming it is and how much dedication you need,” she said.
Although she does not have the time to cheerlead herself, she has been assistant coaching a cheerleading team. She said, “It’s not the same as me cheering but it’s still something I enjoy doing and helps me get away from my crazy schedule.”
One effective suggestion is to work ahead when it comes to assignments. If you check your syllabus and know you have a lot coming up, try to get it done the week beforehand.
That way, you won’t be as stressed and can still have the time to hit the gym or curl up in bed with tea and a good book.
Another tip is to grab your textbook on your way to the gym, that way you can study and get those reps in.
Adjunct professor of computer science and software engineering, Tracy Hill, believes that students should find the time for what they enjoy when dealing with the stress of classes, homework, and deadlines.
“That may mean waking up a little earlier to complete an assignment or cutting down on social media to finish a project. Students should take a close look at their academic commitments and create a schedule that lists priorities and the time needed to effectively complete them, while also limiting procrastination and distractions. This will help create more time for themselves, making for a happier and enjoyable college experience,” she said.
Rob Panasuk, a recent graduate of Monmouth, emphasized how important his ‘me’ time was. “If you’re not taking care of your needs, there’s no way you’ll be able to handle the stress of college.”
“I would know, I was in college forever. ‘Me’ time for my schedule was working out. I also loved having a game or movie night with close friends. That would always take my mind off things and would allow me to relax,” he continued.
Throughout your college experience, it is important to practice self-care and put yourself first.
Don’t say no to yourself by saying yes to others and don’t neglect your ‘me’ time. Happiness over most things will prove to hold the most success.
PHOTO TAKEN by Alexandria Afanador
