The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.
Last semester was a long semester. It proved to be daunting and challenging, with the feeling of being overwhelmed constantly looming overhead. Due dates, part-time job, eating healthy – all of these things add up being a burden on our mental health.
This semester, I learned that it is important to take a break. Learn when it’s the right time to take a step back and be yourself again.
I love music and I love playing music. Early in the semester, I would spend hours playing the guitar along to some of my favorite songs. Once I got to the dreaded midterms, when I would sit down to play music, I felt guilty! Surely, I should be studying instead of wasting away hours playing guitar.
However this isn’t the case. There’s a quote that’s often credited to John Lennon and many others that states: “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time” (the original author of this quote is allegedly Marthe Troly-Curtin).
When we’re pursuing our goals, getting an education, working, etc., we often forget to take time out to do the things we enjoy, but it’s important to do those things. It’s important for your mental health to have fun from time to time. Step away from the chaos and structure that’s pulling you down and just have a little fun. Just don’t get carried away and ignore your responsibilities.
Take a break! You’ve earned it.
If you’re interested on the origins of the quote, more on that here: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/11/time-you-enjoy/
What are some of your children’s hobbies? When do they do them? Would you suggest they do them during more stressful moments?