We’re a good bit into the school year now. We’ve established our routines, settled our end of summer blues and are at the point where we feel start to feel run down. I moved into school a week early, but still 4 days after I was supposed to due to a family emergency.

Since being here, I’ve been running full steam: I was a week of welcome leader, Rho Gamma (Greek recruiter), went through Greek recruitment which is an exhausting task on its own, and I applied for and got 2 jobs. It almost feels like I’ve run out of gas, but I was on a hill so I didn’t notice and last night, I stalled out at the bottom with no gas station in sight. I was going down in a slump, now I'm at the bottom and I need to do something to get up to the top.

So I did the only thing I could think of: I called my mom at midnight and cried on the phone for a full hour. I vented, ranted and complained, and it was like a weight lifted off of me. There’s nothing better than getting out all the things you’ve kept inside, but here’s some things to do that might help you get out of the blues and protect your biggest investment: you.

Take A Walk

When you get all your feelings out or if you just need to get away for a sec, having some time to yourself and use of some restless energy is a blessing. Whether it’s a short walk by the river like I chose, or if you log some miles on your fitbit, get out there and let it out.

Call Your Person

Last night, I didn’t think twice about calling my mom, partially because she is the epitome of a night owl, but also because I knew that no matter what I said, she would be there to listen, advise and understand without judgment. She always wants the best for me and can make me feel better anytime.

Write It Out

On my late night walk (don’t worry, it was well lighted and I was smart), I sat down in a chair swing and looked out on the river. I thought about why I was so upset and I evaluated it, then wrote a note on my phone about what I was feeling. Then I wrote a rough outline for this article. And it felt so freeing.

Read A Book

Sometimes when you feel trapped in your own life, escaping into someone else’s life is the best option. Yeah, maybe I didn’t understand a word in that lecture, but I can take some time and understand the life of some character in some book.

Put Yourself First

My mom once told me your twenties are your selfish years, I’m only 19 but I think I’m gonna start early. Put your body, your soul, your mind first: they’re yours, nobody else will be living with them for forever, just you. Invest in yourself, it’s the biggest (and best) investment you’ll ever make. Take some me time, take a second to breathe and let your worries wait. When they deliver the ‘in the event of an emergency’ talk, they always say put your mask on first and then you can help others. Its no use to anyone if you’re so busy helping others you can help yourself. Don’t feel bad for taking a deep breath in before you tackle the next event.

Life is hard, no matter who you are, don't ever feel bad for needing to recharge. You deserve it.