Action #7 - Recharging My Battery

As a student here at Goshen College, I've learned what it is like to be busy beyond belief and that sometimes you just need some alone time to recharge your battery.

This year I am highly involved around campus with my busy class schedule, Goshen College Volleyball, Intramurals, Campus Activities Council, my friends, my boyfriend and my family. I'm used to being this busy, but unlike high school I am on my own this time; having to motivate myself in all ways possible. I've found that through my stress, I am very vulnerable in group settings and around my friends. With a hall full of girls and a campus full of people, it is extremely hard to find that alone time I am desperately needing.

The way I recharge my battery is a form of relaxation and my chance to sit down and do things I enjoy, but am just to busy to complete.

One thing that I enjoy is music. I've grown up singing it in the car and soon moved to the stage; I just acquired a passion for it and sang in my school choir for seven years. I also participated in five musical productions at my high school and a performance team that traveled throughout the county to sing and perform. Music has been a part of my life for some time. It is a unique way to express what I am feeling and I love the lyrics that most songs have. Music expresses what I feel in a way like nothing else can and I just love falling asleep to it. Music always recharges my battery no matter what I am going through.



One thing that I wish I did more often was journal. Journaling helps me express what's on my mind and I am able to clear my thoughts from the day. My mind is always racing at the end of the day, reflecting on what happened and what I have to do for tomorrow. Journaling helps me to process everything more clearly and calmly. It's also another way I express myself, but it's just on paper this time.

Throughout my busy weeks, my room becomes an absolute mess. When I have the time to clean and organize my dorm room, I always feel so much better and cleaner. One way I try to recharge my battery during the week is by cleaning my room. My roommates like it as well. My room has also decided to keep a chore chart since cleaning recharges all of our batteries, that way we can all have equal responsibilities. It helps me, as well as my roommates, to get the chores done in an organized fashion.

I am originally from Crawfordsville, Indiana which is three hours away and I miss my family and friends from home all the time. They are all a very important part of my life and I have to stay involved with them or I feel like something is missing from my life. Another way I recharge my battery is by getting in touch with my friends and family from home. This may be a phone call, a simple message or email, or sometimes just a scroll through my photo albums. Sometimes it makes me miss them more, but it feels good to remember all the great memories I've made with them as well.

Upon talking with various teachers, teaching is a stressful job in many ways. Every teacher has various ways to "recharge their batteries" and I now know what ways I can recharge mine. I have a feeling that I will be doing it very often.