Do you remember when we were young, when playgrounds were majestic castles, when robots with laser eyes battled aliens in UFOs, when unicorns soared over colorful rainbows made of sheets of candy, when the furnace in the basement came alive when the temperature was low, or when everything but the couch cushions was hot, boiling lava? Remember when you didn’t have a care in the world, other than to just have fun? Do you remember that warm, bubbly, feeling erupting in your gut? It’s the most liberating and sensational feeling in the world, isn’t it?

Being young at heart has its benefits and taking care of unneeded stress is one of them, especially for college students. Becoming an adult is quite a challenge. Even though there are many ups when becoming an adult, the process of making it through college, finding a stable job, maintaining relationships, and other adult-like necessities take a toll on their well-beings.

As one of those students, striving to make it to the top and doing my very best to make an imprint on the “walk of fame” of life takes up most of my time and energy. While that energy is being used, little thoughts start to pile up in the mind, cluttering that creative flow. Then, eventually those thoughts turn into doubts and then turn into worries, which release negative vibes into the atmosphere and pretty soon, you start breathing in the negative nitrogen and oxygen particles over and over again until the burden of stress builds up inside of you. If you ask me or anybody for that matter, that sounds like an extra handful to take care of.

So, if we as adults want to rid of stress, we should think about the times when life wasn’t such a hassle. If you haven’t recently experienced that liberating and sensational feeling I previously mentioned, maybe it’s time to take that journey down memory lane.

Now I’m not saying to cause mischievous destruction that you possibly did when you were a child, like drawing on the walls, egging peoples’ houses, or smashing their mailboxes. I’m more focused on the concept of exploring the world of make believe and broadening your imagination.

When we were younger, we used to spend time outdoors every single day. Nature always had something new in store for us to discover and always gave us inspiration to make random concepts our own. Playing hopscotch, jumping rope, and riding our bikes and scooters with our friends was the perfect way to bond with friends and make new ones, as well as getting some exercise. Grabbing our colorful utensils to bring a black and white picture to life helped us think outside the box when it came to creativity. Plus, who doesn’t like to color? And who can forget the playgrounds with the slides, the monkey bars, the tunnels, and the swings? I think this is self-explanatory.

Now some people might think that these ideas are ridiculous, to think they would be seen playing hopscotch in the middle of campus where everyone can see. But if you think about it, who cares? If you’re smiling and having fun with no trace of that college stress, that’s all that matters. People walking by might even join you!

The ideas previously mentioned are suggested activities we can do to relieve stress. Instead of turning to the typical, short-term, college remedies when our stress level shoots through the dorm ceiling, like drinking alcohol, tea, or some kind of special mixture, as well as the renowned treatment of napping, we can use that time to be a kid again. I believe enough is enough when pressure barges in and raids my personal space and I bet many of my peers feel the same. That’s why I feel it’s important to remind people how relieving it is to reintroduce themselves to that little, inner child within and invite them to play. Pretty soon, stress is only an illusion.