By The Editorial Board
When you’re a college student, the routine of going to class, doing homework and having a job while remembering to eat and cram in time to sleep — can be exhausting. Your Google Calendar is probably full of colorful blocks telling you just exactly what you’re doing each day, and odds are by the time you get off campus for the day, all you want to do is take a nap or start scrolling.
While staring off into space or trying to drown out the chatter in your brain can be tempting, we encourage you to do one more thing before you totally check out. But unlike the other things you might be up to day-to-day, this last thing is for you and you alone: the sweet treat.
No, that doesn’t just mean going and spending $10 on a pastry and a coffee in Moody Library — though that’s certainly one way to go about it. It’s really about doing something simple and easy that brings you enjoyment, and it could be anything.
It could be grabbing a sweet treat or a coffee without thinking about what you have to do afterward. It could be taking some time to call a friend or family member, or finding a nice place to sit on campus and take in the scenery. Whatever it is, do something that brings you a little bit of peace and enjoyment.
Whatever it is that you do, the spirit of the sweet treat is finding some time — even just a few minutes — to give yourself a gift.
In the process, you’ll find yourself breaking up the tedium of each day while giving yourself something to look forward to, rather than counting down the weeks until spring break, Dia or summer break. And during the depths of February, when walks to class are cold and windy, and the next 10 months of the year are looking longer by the day, that might just be the thing you need.
This time of year is sneaky with how quickly the Valentine’s Day excitement can have us caught up in romance, bringing the potential to neglect self-love. Many college students are busy chasing romantic partners and doing everything they can to make a date on Feb. 14. And while there can be nothing like the excitement of a new romance, it can be a time when you’re especially vulnerable to overcommitting yourself to plans or trying to be someone you’re not in order to impress another person.
On the flip side, by doing something every day for yourself, you are constantly reaffirming that you’re as worthy of your time and attention as the people around you that you care about and attend to.
Meanwhile, February happens to be one of the toughest months for those struggling with seasonal affective disorder, according to the American Medical Association. The days are long and get dark fast, and it feels like you’ve been living in one sweatshirt since December, doesn’t it? While the only thing to make seasonal depression go away is for Spring to arrive, indulging in some self-love is one way to alleviate those hardships for a little while and can help you get through the season.
This Valentine’s season, don’t forget to love yourself, too — and go get that sweet treat.
