ME TIME

Time. A clock. Tik tok. As a college student, time can feel so limited. So many things to do but very little time. So many hours, but only minutes spent sleeping and barely any seconds for eating.

A full time student with a job may not even know what time is anymore. Sometimes we take on tasks before checking to see whether we have the time. Eventually, it all catches up and our mental health suffers.

To prevent a major breakdown, it is important to take time out of our week, even out of our day, and set time for ourselves.

“It is important for students to have down time,” says Malia Sherman, director of counseling and psychological services at Fresno State. “It’s always good for everybody to self care, to have time where they can do healthy things for themselves. Things that relax and rejuvenate and take care of their mental health.”

I like to call it “Me Time.” Life can so loud sometimes. Students like to go out to party and socialize, while also prioritizing school and work. It all eventually catches up. That’s why we need that quiet time, that gym session, that pedicure, or even that nap–for our inner self.

Carl Licuanan, a media, communications and journalism student at Fresno State,  says he feels “really stressed out like time is being wasted” if he doesn’t get any “me time” throughout his week.

Not everyone gets the opportunity to wind down.

“I miss it. I don’t get a whole lot of it,” one student said.

Sherman suggests students who feel tight on time attend the health center’s drop-in meditation sessions between classes or if a class gets cancelled. Sherman says the drop-in meditation sessions allow  students to “completely clear their mind and refocus. It’s really powerful and has good effects on academic success.”

So instead of stressing over and over, take a moment to breathe and relax the mind and body physically and mentally because the outcome can be more beneficial.

Time, and how one spends it, can be so precious. But allowing yourself  “me time” has its benefits, which is why it is so important to refresh before you start back up again.