As a college student, weekdays and even weekends are spent doing schoolwork.

But to stop

myself feeling overwhelmed and being physically and mentally exhausted, I make every effort to

manage my time so that I can at least fit leisure activity into my daily routine. Since I am an

introverted person and not really an active person, most of my leisure activities are just spent at

home by myself.

I enjoy listening to music, any genre. Though I have my favorite artists such as Taylor Swift

and Tomorrow by Together. I usually have my earphones on whether going to class, doing homework,

reviewing, or laying on my bed. I occasionally watch movies and TV shows as well. I enjoy films of all

genres except horror. I don't hate it, it's just that I can't watch it alone, so I prefer watching it with my

friends. I also enjoy watching vlogs of random people and also variety shows. My current favorite

variety shows are To Do and Going Seventeen. It’s very entertaining to watch.

Also, during the pandemic I was really bored so I tried finding a game that doesn't require skill

or much thinking since I want to enjoy and not stress onto it. So, I discovered Homescapes and

Cartoon City 2. I was really addicted to these games back then since I had a lot of time to spare, but

these days I rarely play since I have more things to do.

I also scroll through Tik Tok before I sleep. When I accomplish the tasks I have to complete

after a long, exhausting day, I treat myself to the comfort of lying in bed and scrolling through Tik Tok.

Given that this activity doesn't really need much of my energy, I feel like I am really resting. Also,

because my attention span isn't too long, the short length of Tik Tok videos was helpful.

In my leisure time, I also enjoy exploring the city and finding relaxing places to sit down, such

as parks. Because when I was in my hometown I didn't really go out unless needed or I’m with

someone, but when I moved to the city, I found that I actually do enjoy wandering by myself. Hence,

on weekends when I have extra time or have finished all of my schoolwork, I go for walks with no
further goals than to simply enjoy the experience. This also helps me in familiarizing myself with the

city since I'm new here. I also enjoy working out at home but unfortunately, I don't do it any longer

since I share an apartment with other people and there isn't enough space to perform the activity. So,

walking for 30 minutes during weekends really helps me to still be physically active.

I also spend my free time talking with my friends and family online. I have this friend who I talk

to almost every day, and we keep each other updated on how we are doing since we’re both far from

our homes. I also talk to my mother and grandmother to assure them that I'm doing fine in this new

place. I also made new friends here, and sometimes we go out to eat and visit some places here in

the city. We are all from outside Visayas so it's a completely new experience for all of us. They are

also fun to be with, so all my worries are gone when I'm with them.

I also started doing journals. It helps me a lot when ​I'm feeling​down and overwhelmed. Since I

don't have my family and friends right here to comfort me, writing my thoughts helped me overcome

the sadness. I also found comfort in listening to radios. I downloaded this app that could connect you

to different radio stations around the country. So, I connected it to a radio station that is based in my

hometown. But if I'm being honest, these days most of my leisure time is just spent sleeping. After a

long day or week of interacting with others and doing schoolwork, sleeping helps me to regain my

energy.

Doing leisure activities helped me to balance my social and academic life. It helped me to be

physically and mentally healthy despite having heaps of things to do. Especially now that I’m living on

my own in an unfamiliar city, it keeps me away from draining myself. It also helps me to build

relationships, foster creativity, and discover new interests. Afterall, we deserve a break from the tiring

world we live in.