College can be hard. You’re tired, worn out and you have a paper to write or test to study for that you’re honestly about to blow off because you’ve hit that point. Spring break can’t come fast enough, yet you have a million things to do before then, so what do you do? You find something small to distract yourself with in the middle of study breaks or when you want ten minutes to yourself that doesn’t have to do with your major.
Go on a mini (virtual) vacation. You would rather be anywhere but the library, and what better place than someplace you want to visit? With hundreds of travel websites out there, with millions of pictures and videos from vacationers, it shouldn’t be hard to find someone who went to the far off place that you’re dreaming of. It’s a glorious distraction from real life to look at pictures of islands that you can only hope someday you’ll travel to, and find videos of amazing things to do there. Of course, it can make you get the travel bug, but it never fails to relax you. You may even start making a list of everything you want to do there, (… that might just only be me).
Watch videos that make you laugh. When you’re having a bad day, some good old fashioned laugh medicine never fails to work. Think about what makes you laugh. For me, it’s always something that Ellen Degeneres does on her show, and usually involves her talking in someone’s ear and having them do ridiculous things at Starbucks (Dennis Quaid is still my favorite). Or old, classic SNL skits that never die. Since we’re in the middle of a presidential race, those old Tina Fey being Sarah Palin, or Amy Poehler channeling her inner Hilary Clinton are golden.
Animal videos! I hope I don’t have to elaborate here, because there are countless videos of animals doing cute things. Especially the baby ones!
Call your best friend. When you’re having that mid-semester crisis before a test and you really just want to drop out, your best friend is always good for advice. They listen to your problems, and give you words of encouragement that you need to hear. Talk about life, future plans, hopes, dreams, that episode of "The Bachelor" last night, plans for the next time you hang out, just anything. There’s a chance that you’ll end up doing the same thing for them at one point, most likely in the near future.
Go have a fun night out. No, I don’t mean at the frat house down the street. Away from school or home. Drive somewhere you’ve never been, go to the city, try a new restaurant. Just have an adventure. A night away from school, work and stress does wonders for your mental health. It’s really refreshing and the memories are ones to treasure forever.
Have a total chill out day. Read a book, watch a movie, start that new TV show you’ve been dying to watch, wake up at three in the afternoon. A day that isn’t dictated to what homework you have is needed every now and then because doing schoolwork all the time is boring and wears you down really quick. Just don’t forget that you should probably attempt to write that paper at some point, but finish "Game of Thrones" first.
Keep reminding yourself why you're doing this. To graduate. Every all nighter, test, project, textbook reading that you’ve ever done will pay off the moment that you walk across that stage in your cap and gown and get that diploma. You have to keep reminding yourself that, especially when you question why on earth you would ever volunteer for something like this. Sometimes graduation will seem like the furthest thing away, and shockingly close at others. Keep motivational quotes on your desk or dream job lists close by to remember that when things seem to too much.
