One of the most important things about college is being able to maintain your own mental health. The best way to do this is to work towards maintaining a balance in your life. But the hardest part of balancing yourself in life is finding the kind of balance you need.
While there are articles galore about all the ways that you can make your life better, there is nothing that you can read as a guide to picking out what you should do for yourself. The best advice that I can give you is to try to figure it out for yourself. It will be a lot of working on figuring out your own needs.
The process of understanding how much time you need with friends and how much time you need for studying is one that is a constant process of learning about yourself. Once you understand how you respond to stress and to free time, you know how to structure your own time. But once you understand that rhythm, don't let anyone tell you that you're doing something wrong.
While I don't always admit to the amount of time that I spend playing video games during my most stressed times, I do play quite a bit more than most people would suspect. This isn't because I'm actively putting off all of my responsibilities, but because I'm working on keeping my mind from over-focusing on the stress of the situation as well as the tasks at hand. In this way, I find motivation to continue working towards mini-goals and stress relief more throughout the day.
For some people, they might find that while they are more stressed during a similar situation, they might not be able to function with the constant distraction of video games. That's fine. It's perfectly acceptable to do what makes the most sense for your own sense of well being.
While for some, this advice will sound like everything that they've heard before, there are people in the world that will work themselves into the ground and only stop once they cannot find the strength to keep moving forward at all.
Whether you're in college, out of college, looking to get into college, or even thinking about skipping college, it is important for you to keep your mind as healthy as your body. If that means taking a 'sick day' from work once in a blue moon, then do it. Your body is important, but your mind keeps your body functioning. Making sure that both are in the best condition is essential for a content life. Life isn't about making the most money or getting the best grades all the time.
Make time for friends or time to be alone. Make time to study or to relax. Understand what really makes yourself tick and know how to avoid meltdowns. The balance of your life will come as you work at it, and not a moment sooner.
