Lately, I just want to shut up.
It is not because I am afraid to take up space, nor due to shyness. I simply wish to remain silent.
It is exhausting trying to make the world, and people, understand...
However, I’ve grown to lean on my ability to sit down and do the work, and that’s the key — to make life feel a little easier, you have to build trust with yourself through habits, hobbies and moments that make you feel safe and loved.
The constant need for validation became an addiction, leaving me perpetually unsatisfied and always wanting more. I found myself seeking approval from men to the extent of it affecting my emotional well-being. Putting their needs above my own became my new normal, and I naively believed it was how things were supposed to be. Breaking free from this cycle required a conscious effort to reconnect with the things that once brought me joy.
I won my Peeps coloring book in an Easter egg hunt organized by my suitemate, and surely enough, everything changed. I was no longer growing annoyed at attempting to fill in every detailed pattern of a mandala. The lines of pink across the pages bled and overlapped together, creating a less-than-perfect composition of a rabbit. I would routinely cap my marker, place it back in the box and flip to the next page of my Dollar Tree Peeps coloring book. Despite the imperfections and out-of-line work, I was always satisfied, something eight-year-old me would’ve been proud of.
If BU wants to make sure its students are staying safe and healthy, it must take into consideration our mental health and provide us with significant breaks that are comparable to, or even more supportive, than our absent Spring Recess.
While exams have been proven to cause anxiety in students at schools such as Boston University, meditation and similar activities may help better direct attention and reduce stress, according to a study...
