BWW Blog: When You Have The Winter Blues

For those of you who are currently in school, maybe it's your senior year of high school, maybe it's your first semester in college, or maybe like me, you're a transfer student. No matter where you are in your educational journey, it's now the point in the semester when life seems to snowball. (No pun intended, but it's already snowed a few times so far here in Colorado!) Deadlines start looming, friends may be more irritable, the pages of your planner are full of due dates and reminders, and the list goes on!

In my last 2 blog posts, I've shared some of my favorite advice and words of wisdom when it comes to theatre and navigating college. This week is a little different because like many of us, I've been having a difficult time taking the advice that I often give out so readily to my friends and family. Going to school out of my home state is really difficult, as I talked about previously. This week especially I've had a really bad case of what I like to call: The Winter Blues.

The Winter Blues are different for everyone! For me, it's a combination of homesickness and feeling as if I don't have enough time in the day to do the things I need to. For you, it might be feeling like you're overwhelmed balancing schoolwork with college applications. Or maybe you haven't been able to spend quality time with your family and friends. Especially with daylight savings ending, we get less sunlight and Vitamin D. This can make you feel as if you're not being as productive as usual because we often associate nighttime with the end of a day. But that's not true, you're doing great! I'm a very proactive person and I feel great when I'm able to check something off my To-Do list. But especially in college, sometimes your plate gets fuller than you anticipate.

The best piece of advice I can give this week are 3 rules said by the incomparable André De Shields:

1. Surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming.

2. Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be.

3. The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing.

No matter where you're at in the semester, make sure that you're being kind to yourself. Our bodies do so much to keep us going, and especially so as actors. Give yourself 30 minutes to 1 hour of time every day that is entirely devoted for you. Use that time to de-stress or do a fun activity for yourself! Reach out for help when you need it, we all have more support than we realize. (Trust me, I call my father about 4 times per week!) Know that I'm struggling right there with you but the good news is that The Winter Blues are temporary! No matter what, make sure taking care of You is a top priority. Take life one day at a time and know that the rough patches are a brief blip of time compared to the great opportunities and love we are offered in this life. I wish you all a wonderful week!

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