What’s next? College engulfs your life. Every exam, every night out, every first date seems like the be-all-end-all of your life. So what happens when it’s all over? After you’ve taken the exam that you pulled the all-nighter for, after the first date goes great, after the hangover fades, what are you left with? Post-grad blues.
It slowly creeps in on you every summer home from college, and once you graduate, it hits you hard and fast. Post-grad blues is nothing to mess around with. It’s a disease that’s commonly diagnosed quickly after receiving a diploma and brings with it a yearning for long naps, late nights, and the bubble that once housed all your favorite bars. Thankfully, there’re simple ways to kick the condition once and for all.
I’ve found the cure for post-grad blues on my own, and I’m not going to let my fellow millennials go down without a fight. It was the end for me. I completed the last class, the last exam, and walked the stage. I found a job and (unfortunately) moved back with my parents. But when left with a post-college hangover that seemed like it would never go away, I realized that curing my condition was only three steps away.
1. Binge Watch A Netflix Show
The first step might seem like it’s putting you back instead of pushing you forward, but it’s all about the baby steps, my friend. To master this step, choose a show that you’ve told yourself you’d watch and never did. Don’t skimp here. You might never get the chance to watch the complete season of this show ever again.
Once you’ve got your show in mind, make your favorite snack, pull down all the shades, and put a Do Not Disturb sign on your door. This step will give you a flashback to your college days of just wasting the days away. Life will seem great for the first few seasons. But odds are there will be a light bulb moment about halfway through season three where you realize you want more out of life. When that moment happens, then you’re ready to move on to the second step of beating post-grad blues.
2. Get Up And Get Out
Step two requires you to get off your ass and do something. Anything. It doesn’t matter if this is back at home or in your new post-grad city, there’s no excuse for not getting out and getting moving. Emphasis is on the movement for this step.
The key is to get out and start exploring. Whether you decide to go for a run, a bike ride, or just walk around the block, you need to start pumping those endorphins and feeling the sunlight. Bonus points if you bring a friend. There is so much happening in the world around you, that you’ll eventually feel inspired to start getting out and being part of it. You’ll know that you’re ready to move on to the next step when you’re actually excited to get out there three days in a row.
3. Channel Your Energy Into Something Positive
At this point, it won’t be a surefire way to get rid of all your negative energy. But the last step is all about taking that energy and putting it into something positive. Whether it’s work related or not, it’s time to do something for you that really makes you feel good. Start a journal, find a hobby, start looking for a job -anything positive that will get you closer to moving on with your life.
The key here is to keep it positive. No matter what project that you decide to tackle, give it your all. And when you feel yourself getting negative, take a mini-break and start back at it. You’ll know you’ve completed the process when you start to feel like yourself again.
There’s no saying how long this process will take. For some, it’s weeks and for others it’s months, but by the end, you’ll be feeling fresh and ready to take on the world. Post-grad blues is nothing to mess around with, but it’s nothing a little positive energy can’t beat. After all, you made it through four years of college, so the rest is nothing.
Featured image via Emily Ranquist on Pexels
