Taking 13 credits, working and being an RA, I’ve turned into that person who will quickly retreat back to their residence hall room for some well needed “me” time. And you guessed it, that time almost always involves two things: Netflix. And chill.
No friend, not that Netflix and chill. I’m talking about the worn out pajamas, Jimmy John’s and darkness type of Netflix and chill. Alone.
There are some days I forget that I’m just a student like you all. I’m a student with a full time course load, RSO commitments and a job that requires my attention 24 hours a day and seven days week. Sometimes I fizzle out.
It’s on those days that I make it a priority to get away from everything that’s causing me to run out of my juice. Even though it’s just me in my room, I lock the door and try to disappear.
My room is pretty cozy, so I’ve been told, so it’s fairly easy. I set up my laptop, change out of my jeans and throw on my fuzzy Little Mermaid pajama pants then crawl into bed. With my Netflix queue ready, I scroll and pick.
Lately, it’s been “The Office” and “Drop Dead Diva” at the top of my list. I pick an episode, cuddle under my blanket with that good ole Jimmy John’s sub and just, chill.
It’s perfect. And I try to do it twice a week. Although it may sound frivolous, because apparently everyone thinks that getting drunk and partying should relieve stress, it’s so needed.
I have had friends get upset with me for being MIA, when really, I wish I could be partying.
But I know that for the sake of my personal development and mental wellness, I need to be MIA sometimes.
Ironically, I have no friends who would rather sit and watch movies with me instead of taking shots. So Netflix and chill, bed for one.
I encourage every student and even faculty or staff to take a night and just chill. Whether it’s with bae, your cats or a friend. Do it.
My hall director has taught me that it’s okay to want to be by yourself. Sometimes you need to be. Don’t be afraid to say, “Hey, I’d love to hang out, but I need to just chill by myself for a while.”
When you’re planning your schedule for the week, set aside time for some chill. It doesn’t have to be a six-hour chill session, but you could just relax and watch that movie you’ve been dying to see that’s saved in your Netflix queue.
So Netflix and chill. It’s LIT.