It's 6:00 a.m., your eyes are hardly open before the coffee hits lips. You just need to wake up enough to shower, then brew another to sip as you get dressed. You attempt to style your hair but opt for a quick ponytail instead. You slip into uncomfortable jeans you know you need to wear to fight the office A/C. You slap together some easy foods for a makeshift lunch and rush out the door 10 minutes late. You've just finished finals and took Memorial Day Weekend off. That Monday starts to resemble the Sunday nerves, and you're already worrying about Tuesday before you even fall asleep. You're a working college kid, with 40 hour work weeks inside an office or what have you. You're itching to enjoy the summer air and stare at it beyond the front entrance of your place of employment.
If you're anything like me, you're at the stage in your life where summer no longer means anything to you but a few short lived months of warmer weather. Summer becomes more like a time to grudgingly wear shorts and show off your "hibernation body" rather than spend endless hours outside at peak of day tanning on a beach. Luckily, summer can still have that special ring to our ears.
Even though you might be busy with work or a summer class, we still can make the most of it. No one wants the summer blues, that's what post-Christmas snow is for. Do something for yourself maybe once a week or a few times, or even schedule out your weekends dedicated to all of your favorite things, (cue Julie Andrews singing in your head). Go on a hike, camp, visit family, take a mini vacation or schedule a big one, go to the beach on the weekend, or hit the local festivals on your weeknights. Taking time off work seems scary, but it can be really healthy to mentally and physically recharge. And enjoying your summer is absolutely possible even if you can't take some time off work. Free up your nights, and hit the streets. Ask for half-day Fridays. You can find that summer adventure.
Don't let your summer slip through your fingers. Working is important, and it's part of growing up and having responsibilities, but it's okay to cut yourself some slack. We often find ourselves having trouble simmering down after final exam week, and our minds are still racing as if school was still looming over our heads that following Monday. Healthy habits in a work week are just as important as setting aside time for yourself and work in balance. Because believe it or not, you have a responsibility to yourself, not just your employer.
