We all know about midlife crises. For those of you who understand the struggle people face when confronting the issue of time constantly moving, the idea of the midlife crisis may haunt you. You ask questions of yourself: Am I doing enough? What have I done with the time I’ve used? How much time did I waste?
The mid-semester crisis is similar. The first exams are usually the cue for realizing just how much time has passed and what we’ve been doing. I myself have just been cycling between eating, classes, work and sleep. Not always in that order. We think we can put off planning for the future because we’re dealing with so much right now. The “Oh, I can deal with that later,” or “It’s not due tomorrow, it can wait,” sayings all encapsulate the same emotion: anxiety.
In the past 80 years, Americans’ anxiety has only worsened, according to an article by The Cut. In the article, Jean Twenge, a social psychologist at San Diego State University, says there are many known and unknown factors for this phenomenon. However, she believes people aren’t able to spend time to connect with others like previous generations before us could.
Personally, I know there are so many things to be stressed about, especially as a college student. There’s the common anxiety over finding a job or even the simple task of asking questions in class. I sometimes get anxious I’m losing my motivation with a class because it feels like it’s dragging. The stress of upcoming exams is already overwhelming and that stress won’t end until after each semester.
When our anxieties worsen, there is generally an increase in the level of our exhaustion and erratic behavior. We can end up losing our minds keeping everything together just from the classes we’re taking. Then add on any extracurriculars and now we reach a crossroads: Do we do things outside of class for the love of doing so, or are we doing it so we’ll feel accomplished?
The key to anything is balance. It’s a cliche, but honestly, it’s the truth. And that goes for what we do in our spare time. Our hobbies can become some of the greatest sources of joy in our life. I love playing card games and watching movies, but I rarely have time for either. I try to be involved with campus groups and organizations, but if they have any relation to a profession, it almost feels like signing up for another class. We deserve to treat our free time with the respect and joy we deserve, not fill it with secondary objectives that only add more stressors.
But maybe your magazine group is the source of your favorite pastime in designing covers. I won’t take that away from you. However, we should take a constructive look at how we spend our time and make sure it feels like we are using it with purpose. I can’t say for certain what that purpose is. We’re lucky to be able to decide that for ourselves. We cannot wander without a goal, because the journey is more important than the destination, you still have to have a destination.
Take a day off, and spend it how you want. Try to slowly strip away the everyday thoughts and feelings, and get to the bottom of how your time is spent. Maybe you’re living your best life, or maybe you could change a lot. Either way, you’ll thank yourself for at least taking the time out of your day to check in and see how everything is coming along.
Daniel Gamboa is a UF journalism sophomore. His column appears on Fridays.
