change your scenery and change your mood! 10.23.20

 Dear Students, 

Now that the second module is well underway, and with so many classes being remote, you may notice that you are staying in your room, alone, with just your homework for company, a LOT.

The intense pace of school, plus things like grad school or fellowship applications, clubs, practices, work, rehearsals, and internships, makes it hard to find the time to do anything else, let alone go anywhere else. We hear from so many of you: I get up, I do homework, I do class, I do more homework, I attend a meeting, I do class, I do more homework, I do my job, I do more homework, I go to sleep, except I don't go to sleep, I lie there while my mind buzzes about everything waiting for me tomorrow. 

And the only time you left your room was to grab a meal or two.

Of course your mind has a hard time quieting down at night! No wonder so many are feeling a bit trapped lately. We need a break! We need a change of scenery.

Our brains love novelty. New places, new vistas, new experiences: they give us fresh energy and motivation. They remind us that our lives are about more than just school. 

It's hard to get up the mojo you need to break out of the homework-in-my-room cycle but you can do it! And you will be so glad that you did. Over the weekend, or if you can spare the time on a Wednesday, plan a hike with friends in the woods or a walk to a part of town you've never been. Pick up take out and eat something totally new in a pretty spot on campus. Start a socially distanced activity you've never tried before, or an old one you haven't engaged in for years: tennis, frisbee, a board game, yoga, stringing a hammock up at the park and sneaking off with a graphic novel. 

Make the time for a change of scenery! It will lighten your mood, which will improve the quality of your experience engaging with schoolwork (and everything else). 

Cheering you on from the Student Wellness Center, 

Lauren, Susan, Katharina, Meagan, Alexis, Kelly, and Gene