Distractions. In 2022 with social media, an abundance of things on your list to do, and the fear of shutdowns, distractions are unavoidable. I’ll admit the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is check my phone — it’s a terrible and an addictive habit. I’ve heard many different versions of the same thing: if the first thing you do in the morning is look at your phone, you’re doomed. Okay, so that’s not exactly what I’ve heard, but the essence of what I’ve heard was that it was a horrible habit and it should be done away with immediately. But what should you do to replace that habit?
In one of my classes this semester, fellow classmate Sarah Halvorson mentioned how they started enjoying a cup of coffee in the mornings with a new activity: staring at their wall. Now to some, that may seem ridiculous. There’s so much to get done! How could one possibly waste time and stare at a blank wall, letting their thoughts take over them? My professor, filled with wisdom and always knowing what to say, replied to my classmate with “Ah yes, we are human beings, not human doings.”
And so there I was, in the middle of a class that was supposed to be about narrative and personal essays and I found myself struck with this earth-shattering new thought process: I just have to exist. That’s all I need to do in order to be considered a human being. How refreshing! So often we might find ourselves wrapped up in expectations; ones we have placed on us from jobs, parents, professors, friends, families, significant others, and even ones we place on ourselves. How do we find the time to just exist? The time to sit in our rooms and stare at blank walls, to roam around with no destination, to let our minds run wild in all the thoughts we avoid during the day-to-day, too concerned with what we have to do. Am I saying you have to look at your wall every morning? Nope. But I am suggesting you find time in your day to simply exist — or even find time in your week to start, because this isn’t something that comes naturally to us anymore and might take some training. Forget about the to-do lists, forget about the obligations and responsibilities. Of course, you can’t forget about those things forever, but the key to this is to find the balance that works for you and for your life. Maybe it seems impossible for you to fit existing into your full schedule, and if you’re sitting here reading this article and finding yourself in that position, then this is exactly the thing you need to hear. When I look back on the past four years here at Houghton, I don’t remember every homework assignment I had, I don’t remember every shift I was scheduled or every thing I checked off my checked list. I remember the moments I truly enjoyed. I remember taking a break from homework to go get Chinese food with a friend, I remember sitting in Java for a few hours and not getting anything done, but simply enjoying the atmosphere. That is what I encourage everyone here at college to do. Take time to enjoy every day, even if that means you stay up five minutes more just to give yourself that time. I can’t promise it will solve all of your problems, I can’t even promise it will make you happier, but I can promise that your body needs those breaks. If you take anything from this article, I hope it’s this truth: you are more than a human doer. You are a human being. So take the time to just be.
Distractions. In 2022 with social media, an abundance of things on your list to do, and the fear of shutdowns, distractions are unavoidable. I’ll admit the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is check my phone — it’s a terrible and an addictive habit. I’ve heard many different versions of the same thing: if the first thing you do in the morning is look at your phone, you’re doomed. Okay, so that’s not exactly what I’ve heard, but the essence of what I’ve heard was that it was a horrible habit and it should be done away with immediately. But what should you do to replace that habit?
In one of my classes this semester, fellow classmate Sarah Halvorson mentioned how they started enjoying a cup of coffee in the mornings with a new activity: staring at their wall. Now to some, that may seem ridiculous. There’s so much to get done! How could one possibly waste time and stare at a blank wall, letting their thoughts take over them? My professor, filled with wisdom and always knowing what to say, replied to my classmate with “Ah yes, we are human beings, not human doings.”
And so there I was, in the middle of a class that was supposed to be about narrative and personal essays and I found myself struck with this earth-shattering new thought process: I just have to exist. That’s all I need to do in order to be considered a human being. How refreshing! So often we might find ourselves wrapped up in expectations; ones we have placed on us from jobs, parents, professors, friends, families, significant others, and even ones we place on ourselves. How do we find the time to just exist? The time to sit in our rooms and stare at blank walls, to roam around with no destination, to let our minds run wild in all the thoughts we avoid during the day-to-day, too concerned with what we have to do. Am I saying you have to look at your wall every morning? Nope. But I am suggesting you find time in your day to simply exist — or even find time in your week to start, because this isn’t something that comes naturally to us anymore and might take some training. Forget about the to-do lists, forget about the obligations and responsibilities. Of course, you can’t forget about those things forever, but the key to this is to find the balance that works for you and for your life. Maybe it seems impossible for you to fit existing into your full schedule, and if you’re sitting here reading this article and finding yourself in that position, then this is exactly the thing you need to hear. When I look back on the past four years here at Houghton, I don’t remember every homework assignment I had, I don’t remember every shift I was scheduled or every thing I checked off my checked list. I remember the moments I truly enjoyed. I remember taking a break from homework to go get Chinese food with a friend, I remember sitting in Java for a few hours and not getting anything done, but simply enjoying the atmosphere. That is what I encourage everyone here at college to do. Take time to enjoy every day, even if that means you stay up five minutes more just to give yourself that time. I can’t promise it will solve all of your problems, I can’t even promise it will make you happier, but I can promise that your body needs those breaks. If you take anything from this article, I hope it’s this truth: you are more than a human doer. You are a human being. So take the time to just be. ★
Jacie is a senior majoring in writing with minors in Psychology and Photography. Her favorite things in the world are rainy days, iced coffee, a good Spotify playlist, and books!
