College can be extremely overwhelming, and being alone is important. Here are my tips for maintaining a positive relationship with yourself.
In the United States, your freshman year of college is something you look forward to from the start of intermediate school. Your whole world changes when you move to college at just eighteen. There is so much pressure to find your best friends, make good grades, and be successful in a degree pathway after you move away from home for the first time. My experience as a freshman at OU last year is something that I am so grateful for. I have learned so much about myself and the things I want to accomplish. However, all the pressure of college can be a lot to manage, and I have found that I desperately need alone time. Here are a few ways that I have been able to find time to be by myself, during a period where your social skills are always working.
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Check-In with Yourself
The easiest way to make sure you are getting enough me-time in college is by checking in with yourself. It may sound weird, but take time out of your day to ask yourself how you are doing. If your answer if you need time alone, go for a walk or stop by your favorite place for dinner. This is definitely a learned skill, I often try to talk myself through my day in the morning and try to find time to do something for myself if I need it.
2. It's Okay to Stay at Home
Alone time is only alone time if you don’t feel bad for taking it. I have a really hard time with this most of the time, but I have found myself improving this balance as I spend more time alone. Constantly being invited to go do things or hang out with people, can be such a fun and rewarding feeling. However, after a while, you get drained both mentally and physically. There is such a difficult balance to find between hanging out with friends and taking time for yourself. If you ever find yourself questioning whether you should go hang out or stay home, my advice would be to stay home. Your friends should understand your need for time alone, and I promise you will never regret taking time for yourself.
3. Treat Yourself
My last piece of advice for maintaining a good relationship with yourself is by treating yourself, occasionally. There are many ways you can do this, it doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal to treat yourself. You can go on a long drive by yourself, do some online shopping (this can be dangerous), or get a dessert with your dinner. Going to college is difficult, and the pressure to be perfect all the time is consuming. Treating yourself every once in a while will help you feel appreciated and deserving of good things, just because you are you.
These tips are important to realize and utilize your alone time efficiently. Here are some of my favorite things to go do alone while I'm at school.
Go read in a coffee shop. I’m currently reading It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover. If you like a good love story, any of her books are amazing.
Listen to some new music. Music for me is very therapeutic, and if I need some time to myself I often go on long drives and listen to new music. Here is a link to my favorite driving playlist on Apple Music.
Go to the gym! I know it can be hard to be motivated enough to do this, but exercise is one of the best forms of self-care. You could even do it in your room, here is one of my favorite online workouts on Youtube.
Journaling. This is difficult for some people, but I’ve never once regretted journaling. Living by yourself for the first time comes with a lot of emotions, and sometimes the best way to manage them is by writing them out. Here are my favorite Moleskin journals on Amazon.
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