Nothing pulls at the back of a college student’s mind quite like being almost out of underwear. Laundry: It's something we all have to do (or bribe our moms to do for us), yet no one ever seems to utter the words, “I can't wait to go throw a load of laundry in!” I'll admit, laundry is definitely not the most exciting task in the world, but maybe that's what we need -- something barely intriguing to keep us focused but not too focused and still able to relax.
Sometimes we just don't have time; even though laundry is something that definitely should be a priority -- hello, clothes are something you require every day, just like, you know, breathing and eating -- it's not always one we consider to be. Yes, I myself am guilty of buying more underwear to avoid the recurring laundry problem -- don't say you haven't done it.
Personally, I find laundry incredibly relaxing, when I finally get around to doing it. The idea of staying near a washer or dryer for an hour and a half certainly isn't immediately appealing, but it forces me to spend some time in my own room instead of roaming the aisles of the library. Sometimes in my haste to arrive at meetings on time or pack as much homework into a day as humanly possible, I forget how soothing the comfort of my own room is, away from the chaos of my everyday schedule.
Speaking of schedule, whether you operate on a set one for laundry or not, it is a nice deviation from your daily tasks. That switch in everyday routine is refreshing, even if it simply means you study at your desk instead of at a booth in the library. Or, at the very least, I know I am forced to cut my naps down from two hours to under a dryer cycle, roughly 55 minutes, for fear of someone unloading my clean underwear onto the dusty laundry room table. While I may rue that cheerful timer, I know for a fact that I wasted less time than I normally would have. Nothing is a better alarm than random people touching your underwear.
But my favorite part is easily folding my clean laundry. After fighting my laundry basket up three flights of stairs, I consider that day a hard-won victory in itself. But since laundry is the gift that keeps on giving, I am graced with another nugget of relaxation the next day when I decide I've tripped over my pile of displaced dirty clothes one too many times and really should fold and put away my laundry. This task provides ample opportunity to not only lose yourself in your music (or in my case, podcasts) and answer your text messages at your leisure, but to reflect on your life and your choices. This blouse would look wonderful with those chinos I just folded, you may suggest to yourself after stumbling upon an outfit combination you've never encountered before, perfect for next week's interview you've been carefully not thinking about! There's something utterly satisfying about feeling -- and actually being -- productive while simultaneously doing minimal work, and laundry offers you this opportunity.
Whether you need to do it, need a moment to yourself, or just like the smell of fresh linen, laundry can be the stress reliever you need approximately every two weeks. Maybe it's the soft whir of the tumble setting or the small cloud of warmth it emits, but I feel comfortable and calm when it's just me and my clothes. Just like a pair of fresh jeans, laundry and the time to yourself it offers can transform you into a new (wo)man, one that is not only able to take on the world, but will be well stocked on underwear while doing so.
