It’s already the fifth week of school, and things are starting to settle into their usual steady tempo. Sometimes it seems like the days just start to blend together once that pace is set, and a few weeks from now you may find yourself lost in the ebb and flow that is our college existence. It’s easy to get caught up in work, just trying to make it through the persistent demands on our time. But every once in a while we need to step back and get a little perspective on things.

In college, it often feels like you are being thrust into a strange and scary world or teetering on the brink of that vast unknown called “real life.” At times it feels as though we could use a little bit of handholding through this difficult process, but many of us will find our hands empty. Perhaps the reality has already sunk in that in a few short years, we’ll be out there trying to make it in the real world. The demands of college life never seem to end and the stress of it all can really take a toll on us if we don’t take time to enjoy ourselves.

A friend recently pointed out to me that I was looking a little down. It surprised me and really made me think. I had been walking around campus in a daze without even knowing it. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t giving myself the time to just do things I enjoy. I had been stressing over grad school, my future, relationships, activities and countless other things, and I just wasn’t very happy. It dawned on me that dealing with all of these stressful things would be much easier if I just took the time to do things that make me happy.

So for the rest of this week and the coming weekend, remember to take time out of your day to relax, de-stress and set aside time for activities that you truly enjoy. If you love to draw and realize you haven’t sketched in a while, take some time and draw a little cartoon, paint or bust out those art supplies. If singing makes you smile, just put on your favorite song and belt it out. If you love to write, get out your notebook or flip open your laptop and write a poem, a story or finally start that novel you’ve been meaning to write.

We all need to kick back and enjoy ourselves every once in a while, and making time for activities that make us happy is essential for our sanity. It’s natural to worry about your future and about that big test coming up, but we are more than just students. Getting through college and landing a well-paying job is not the only goal in life or the ultimate measure of success. Doing things you love relaxes you and makes you more productive. So try to find time to do things you enjoy, and I’m sure you’ll find that it makes the stresses of college life a little bit more bearable.

Christen Mullett is a senior psychology major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].