Homecoming is a time to have non-stop fun all week by going out with friends, partying, planning and putting together outfits, and attending events that the week brings. It is getting prepared to book hair appointments, lash appointments, get nails done, and buy any last minute makeup items and accessories you need! We can get so lost in the fun chaos of homecoming that we forget to prioritize our emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. Homecoming can include saving our schoolwork for later and simply just being filled with a gloomy mood when we are not treating our health correctly. I believe we all can agree that we want to approach homecoming with the best of moods and a lightened spirit, but we cannot do that when we are feeling glum and not balancing fun and our wellness.Â
Hydration, hydration, hydration! While balancing fun and wellness, we need to stay on top of our inner being. Continuously drinking water, eating well, taking vitamins and electrolytes are key components to having a good wellbeing during homecoming. When we are not hydrated, then our homecoming can lead to an event of feeling sick or nauseous from the lack of water and eating.
Have fun, but get your work done as well! I don’t know about you all, but this schoolwork is weighing over me after homecoming! School comes first and we are here for a degree, but we are also here to have fun and it is alright to have a good time. To avoid any stress, aim in prioritizing school first. Guard yourself from getting involved in the aftermath of homecoming raining down on you with missing assignments and low grades. Although this is hard, it takes a little motivation and standing firm in boundaries choosing to complete schoolwork before going out. Get your work out the way first, study for a little while before the event starts, then go out and have fun. Strive to be ahead of the game, so you can start post-homecoming with a relaxed and rejuvenated mood knowing you had fun and have nothing to worry about the days ahead.    Â
Sometimes you may not be in the mood to go out and that is totally fine. You shouldn’t overstimulate yourself even more by going out in an environment that is not for you. It is so easy to have FOMO – the fear of missing out – during school events and parties, but try to have independence and a peace of mind that it is okay to have alone time for yourself even when the rest of this campus planet is out and about. If you are out or planning to do something, going in early for the night is alright while not pressuring yourself to be out late when you really do not want to.Â
Homecoming and college is what you make it, and if certain events are not resonating with you, get your girls together and make your own traditions during the busy week homecoming brings. We are all on this campus with different interests, likes, and preferences, and there should be no pressure to follow the crowd when you aren’t feeling it. Stay on top of your priorities, drink your water, mind your business but be alert, and have a good time!