It's that time of year again, where students are scrambling to cram things that they have been learning all year into their heads in a week before finals. Stress levels are at an all time high at the end of April, but you can't forget to take a mental health day every now and then.

Alright, so let me guess, your stress is causing you to stress and you being stressed is making you not be able to focus which is causing you to stress even more and it's just become this vicious cycle. At this rate you'll have a full head of gray hair by the time you're 25. So take a step back and relax. Take a day off, you deserve it.

Last week, my friends and I were all in the same place you are right now. So we went to a friend's beach house last weekend. And boy, did we need it. We left Saturday morning for a nice two hour ride all the way down to Fenwick Island. Even the car ride helped destress a little bit. We jammed out to anything and everything and sang at the top of our lungs. Listening to Jesse McCartney's angelic voice definitely helped put my nerves at ease. We stopped for food which we were in desperate need of and let's be real... food helps everything. My bank account might be nearing the negatives but that's okay. I'll finally be the stereotypical college student. So finally we arrive our destination aka heaven aka the beach house. Let me just begin with this house being the most cozy and beautiful beach house I've ever seen. This view was absolutely breath taking. And oh my. The smell of salt water filling my lungs put me in the clouds. If Yankee Candle had a candle that smelled like that I would buy them all, no exaggeration. After making ourselves at home and deciding what to make for dinner we ventured to the beach. Now it wasn't the greatest weather but that didn't stop us from making memories and unbreakable friendships Disclaimer: I am actually a mermaid at heart and the ocean is my home. I love love love beaches no matter which beach or where it is, I love them all. There's something about a beach that just makes me feel so clean and rejuvenated. The water was might have been ice cold but it didn't stop me from running in and splashing around like a little kid. Just standing there with the tide running up and reaching my feet, with the salty wind blowing through my hair, it just felt like I was getting an spiritual cleanse and now all my worries are being pushed around in the waves. Standing there on that beach I knew that everything this was going to be okay. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but eventually everything was going to be alright.

After a night full of dancing and screaming lyrics (I'm sure the neighbors hated us) we went for a midnight swim. Yeah I know sounds crazy right? Maybe we are crazy but it was thrilling and more memories were made in the icy cold waves. The next morning I woke up to the sun shining though the windows on the deck. I wrapped myself in my blanket and ventured onto the back deck where life hadn't awaken yet. It was so peaceful that I lost myself in the quietness of my surroundings. When my friends woke up we went on the beach again and that same feeling came over me. I felt free and alive. Also hands down best part of the trip was a dog coming up to me and wanting to play. Dogs make EVERYTHING better. Don't argue me on that one. This trip made me realize a lot of things. It showed me that there is more to life than stress and worrying.

Basically moral of this story is to stop stressing over the little things. And yeah you might not think they are little but there is a bigger picture to whatever situation you are in right now. Your mental health is more important than you grades and if you need a day to yourself or in my case a whole weekend, take it. You deserve it. Go to the beach and cleanse your soul. Go your happy place. Go wherever you want. The world is yours darling, find your home.