Burnout. This is not a word you really want to hear during the first week of classes. This term should be reserved for that horrible period of life called finals. However, as I look around at my classmates and even at myself, I can see signs of burnout already manifesting themselves as many of us are already burning the midnight oil (not to mention the 3 a.m. oil) to finish those last 100 pages of assigned reading.
Warning: if we are already close to cracking under piles of stress, the chances of us surviving the entire term, at least in a state of good mental and physical health, are slim to none. We know how to do advanced calculus, write papers on Shakespeare and analyze Spanish poetry. What we need to learn now is how to relax.
Now, I'm sure many of you are reading this and saying, "Who does this girl think she is? I already know how to relax; it's easy." The fact is, most Dartmouth students don't really know the best forms of relaxation. Chugging 15 beers over the course of 30 minutes does not constitute positive relaxation. As so many students here know, it just gets you drunk out of your mind and feeling worse off the next morning than you felt before you even tried to relax.
So, if alcohol isn't the answer (and, trust me, it's not), what does provide ultimate relaxation? Glad you asked. The answer is simple -- nature. That's right, Emerson and Thoreau were right all along. Most of us cannot spend a few years living as complete recluses with nothing other than trees, insects and forest animals as companions, but we can all find a little time to enjoy nature. Believe me, it's worth it.
I must clarify that truly enjoying nature does not mean sunbathing out on the Green on the rare occasion the temperature in Hanover goes above freezing. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with this activity (hey, it may even relax you), it's just not what appreciating nature is all about. You're still surrounded by people, and you have in no way escaped the hustle and bustle of campus. I suggest going out by Velvet Rocks or Mink Brook for an hour or so and listening to the running water and chirping birds and gazing at the various plants and animals.
Okay, I do realize that this is starting to sound pretty cheesy. People have been telling me for years about the joys of nature and how I should really make the time to take a walk in a field and smell the wildflowers and feel the wind blow through my hair. I scoffed and said that I didn't have enough time, inwardly thinking that I didn't want to spend the little time I did have to relax outside with a bunch of birds and trees.
But this morning I was forced to plunge into the wilderness with my geography class, and was I ever glad I did. Just last night I was feeling more stressed than I had in months due to an ungodly amount of reading and heavy extra-curricular responsibilities. But just about 30 or 40 minutes this morning of observing plants and animals and watching water flow over rocks through the stream put me completely at ease and in a great mood to tackle two more classes.
I value individuality, and I realize that this may not be the best form of relaxation for absolutely everyone. But I think we all owe it to ourselves to try it at least once. I went 18 years convinced that I was not the "outdoorsy" type. I once said that my idea of the great outdoors was an enclosed porch. But until today, I had no idea what I was missing. Many of us grew up in or near large cities, with little opportunity to explore nature. But we are now surrounded by beautiful country, and it may be just what we need.
