After another busy year in college, I returned to my hometown for the summer, feeling burnt out and needing a few months of respite. While lounging on the couch left me feeling even more restless, I looked out the window and saw the kids in my neighborhood swinging and running around the playground. I tried to remember when I last felt that sense of childhood joy instead of the stress that encapsulates young adulthood.
However, I am not alone. Sixty percent of college students reported feeling stressed every day. With packed Google Calendars and endless schoolwork, college life throws us into busy and joyless cycles. Given that these cycles are born out of padding our resume with academics or “employable” experiences at the expense of our creativity and hobbies, we should rediscover a sense of joy this summer by reconnecting with our younger selves. By doing so, we can better counter the stress of our daily lives with greater playfulness and awe.
One of the simplest ways to reconnect with our inner child is by consuming our favorite books, movies and shows from our past eras. With the simple plotlines and guaranteed happy endings, we provide some escapism from our current reality and transport ourselves back to moments where our life felt less complicated.
But consuming similar media does not only allow us to momentarily run away from our problems. In fact, the nostalgia from re-engaging with these forms of media can act as a coping mechanism when encountering change, offering a sense of comfort and continuity. Furthermore, nostalgia can also remind ourselves of previous positive memories during periods of stress or loneliness, encouraging us to navigate transitions with a stronger feeling of optimism.
Better yet, we can engage in creative expression by writing a short story or participating in a craft night. I miss the regularly scheduled arts and crafts hour in elementary school. Without intentional time for these pursuits, we lose opportunities to exercise our creativity. Therefore, for any long flights or road trips ahead of us this break, we can remember to flip open a coloring book or start sketching our surrounding scenery.
But not consuming any media and embracing boredom are other ways to reconnect with our inner child. Putting down our phones would remind us of a time when we did not have these devices in our hands. I started setting aside 10 minutes every day to lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling, alone with my thoughts. I appreciate the moment to disconnect from reality and live in my own world with stillness and daydreams, a world that is not dissimilar to the bubble of my childhood.
Another way to connect with your inner child is to spend more time in nature. Making time to see our hometown friends is a great way to get outside. Whether we organize a weekly pickleball match or get together for another round of Catan at a picnic, we can plan more opportunities to catch up with our hometown friends, improving our physical and social-wellbeing to remind us of our memories from elementary school recess.
Therefore, spending time with my hometown friends looks different than my hang-outs with college friends. Instead of study dates at the Fishbowl or post-lecture dinners, we drive without a preset destination and spend hours at the strip mall. Our conversations revolve around shared memories from school and big-picture discussions about our personal growth since 12th grade or new bucket list goals.
Most of all, my relationships with my hometown friends motivate me to treat friendships with more childlike simplicity and slowness. I remember being in grade school and walking around the cul-de-sac after dinner, ringing doorbells across my neighborhood to find playmates. This summer, I hope to keep this spontaneity close to heart and not be afraid to ring my friends’ doorbells.
With internships and jobs, we may not fully experience the carefree nature of our childhood summers. As we become busier and gain more responsibility, reconnecting with our inner child becomes more difficult with each year; we encounter increasing levels of stress and find ourselves unable to enjoy ourselves as easily. In addition, many of us must take jobs or internships this summer, and few can afford the privilege of just engaging in childhood activities.
As a result, we must rethink how we destress. Maybe the goal is not to reach back into the past and replicate our inner child with carefree days. Although we cannot magically solve all of our stress or run away from adulthood, we can still rediscover some of our childhood hobbies and feelings to add some more joy to our everyday lives. For instance, we can find time after stressful work hours to watch an episode from our favorite childhood show or pick up a coloring book.
Remaining connected with our inner child is important not just to increase joy, but also to remind us of our past wonder and optimism in the world. Remembering our inner child encourages us to rechannel this past feeling, reminding us of our faith in ourselves to take initiative and make the changes that we hope to see in the world.
As I plan for the next few months, I hope to spend more time outside with friends and family. Whether I lie on a picnic blanket under the sun or play pickleball against my dad, I look forward to reconnecting with the self of my past and living a summer of rest and joy.
Sarah Zhang is an Opinion analyst who writes about history, gender and campus culture. She can be reached at sarzhang@umich.edu.
