Being a workaholic is easy to succumb to in today’s culture and so-called “grind.” In a society that is constantly on the move, cultivating the skill to slow yourself down and let yourself simply be is critical. Even though I myself am still learning how to take a step back and recharge, here are a few ways to allow your emotions to catch up with you physically.
- Don’t cancel social events that you were looking forward to simply to do a homework assignment.
To be fair, it is good that you are being proactive and staying on top of your studies. However, you need to remember the “college experience” goes beyond the assignments and grades. Yes, get your homework done. But don’t put excess pressure on yourself to make it perfect. It is okay to not get an A+ on every little assignment. Make sure you allow yourself to attend social events and make memories with your friends–these are the things you’ll remember.
- Don’t build a schedule around school.
This may seem odd because you are in college; however, your life is not school. I often find myself not allowing myself to get coffee in the morning or go to a morning workout class, because I have class three hours from then. You have time if you make time. Get a planner and schedule workout classes, self care time and all the other little things that make you happy. Then, create time to study and complete homework assignments around the activities that you prioritize.
- Find a hobby that is not measured by performance.
One thing I have noticed is when I have an end goal, I feel the need to complete something as soon as possible. So, in order to allow yourself to simply enjoy a hobby, find one that does not rely on progress checks. This hobby can be learning the piano for fun, or even coloring. Just make sure to pick something that allows you to de-stress from the day without comparing your effort from the day before.
- Make sure you utilize social media for healthy reasons.
With social media being a main form of entertainment, it can often feel like a never-ending cycle of scrolling. What you feed your mind through social media reflects in your life, daily. When spending time on social media platforms, think about what you are consuming. If you are endlessly seeing posts of people going out, and that is not something you relate to, simply unfollow the creator or take the initiative to set time-based boundaries for yourself. This can mean setting a limit for certain apps or even turning your phone off completely for a couple hours a day.
- Prioritize what matters to you
As college students, the phrase “the college experience” is often brought up to us or even used against us. While some may have one set-in-stone idea of what the ideal college experience is, everyone has different priorities for their current life. Instead of feeling obligated to live a certain way or experience certain feelings or moments while in college, it is critical for you to visualize your own ideals.
One way to visualize your goals is to create a vision board. For the last two years, I have done this and from personal experience, seeing what I want in life helps me slow down and do what’s best for me–which i recommend to everyone. Start by finding images that you like on Pinterest, such as places you want to visit, your dream job, workouts and other activities that motivate you. Then, you can print these images and place them in a frame, or you can even make them your laptop screen saver –just somewhere you can see the vision board on a daily basis!
While it may be difficult to slow down, it is important to try and debrief from the busyness of the day. Try one, two or all of these steps to gradually slow down and catch your mind and emotions up to your physical body.