This Summer try to Sit Back and Relax … for Once

For many college students, relaxation is simply nonexistent. Life is just too busy. But summer break, however, is a chance to turn it around, at least occasionally.

Photo by: Elizabeth Harris

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Summer break is nearly here, and it has me thinking: How often in life do we as college students take time to really let ourselves relax?

Thinking about it, it seems nearly impossible to do so with work, school hours, homework and other life events.

I work about 20 hours a week, sometimes 30, and currently carry 18 credit hours while juggling other responsibilities such as Student Fellow, Sigma Tau Delta and MBU Timeline.

I enjoy each one of my extracurricular activities, and that is a large reason why I have not given them up, but it is safe to say that all of these events create a very busy — and at times very stressful — environment. And I am sure that I am not the only college student juggling so many things.

It seems that the topic of relaxation is overdone, and in fact, it is discussed quite frequently.  Maybe it is time to actually listen.

Over Spring Break I went outside, went horseback riding, spent time with family, took the dog to the park and went out to eat with friends. I played PlayStation, I watched movies and I went shopping.

I got to see the Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which was beautiful, and I tried Greek food.

In a large sense, I let myself forget about the dozens of responsibilities waiting for me the next week and allowed myself to fully enjoy my time to breathe.

I plan on doing more of that this summer.

I am not saying in any way that school work should be forgotten, thrown out, or minimized, because it is highly important. I am on the Dean’s List, I have President’s Citation and I carry a 4.036 GPA. School matters.

But, breaks matter too.

So, if I have learned anything through Spring Break, which I will take with me into the summer, it is that taking some time to sit back and breathe is a necessity.

Enjoy your summer, MBU. You deserve it.