Brian SotakNow it may just be me, but I’ve noticed that college life is pretty stressful.
I’m pretty sure every person attending this school has had his or her fair share of “hell weeks.” You all know what I’m talking about. Three exams, four papers due and a five hour organic chemistry lab all contained in one, joyful five-day period. And often, several of these weeks will conveniently fall right in a row.
Everybody obviously has their own ways of unwinding, or else we’d be a campus full of psychopaths. But as summer draws nearer, one option becomes more prominent: the outdoors. The days are getting longer and warmer, and people can be seen at lunchtime playing Frisbee on the quad.
A couple weeks ago, I went camping with members of the Outing Club at Greensfelder Park, about 45 minutes west of St. Louis. I know that camping is not everyone’s cup of tea necessarily, but a lot can be said about the benefits of getting away from Wash U and the stresses that go along with it for a day or two. For me, and probably for a lot of other people, having time away from my responsibilities, even for 24 hours, is a really good way to gain some perspective on my life and issues I’m dealing with at the time.
Aside from the time away, I’ve found that being outside with people in and of itself is a great way to relax. Something about being close to nature has a definite calming effect. According to less-stress.com, spending time outside is an important part of having a low-stress lifestyle. In addition, when you are put in such a setting with people you don’t necessarily know really well you tend to bond quickly, which is an incredibly rewarding experience that makes for long-lasting friendships.
While going on a weekend camping trip is something that I find helpful, others who don’t particularly love sleeping in tents in the woods probably would be more stressed out if they were placed in such an environment. If you’re one of these people, you don’t even have to leave campus to escape for a couple hours. Spring is quickly approaching, so get outside and move around. With as much time as college students are known to waste, I think almost everyone can spare an hour or two to give themselves a break and enjoy the weather. Whether it’s taking a walk in Forest Park with a friend, playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee or just taking your books outside and studying, you’ll feel refreshed and you’ll be in a much better mood.
Spending time outside, whether camping in the woods or just hanging out on campus, is a perfect solution to the stressful lives that we as college students experience. It’s refreshing, it’s distracting and it doesn’t leave you with a hangover the next day. What more could you ask for?