JRiedenPicAs a freshman in college, bombarded by a more difficult workload, new people, living with a roommate and terrible dining hall food, I felt extremely overwhelmed by the string of mediocre days that were supposed to make up the “best years of my life.” I cursed the days I felt too tired, stressed, sad, homesick or more introverted than usual. No one else seemed to be having these days, so why was I? I was definitely happy, albeit overwhelmed, but I was worried I wasn’t happy enough. According to my friends’ social media accounts, they weren’t experiencing any of the problems I was, and were instead having the best years of their lives.

Now, as a junior with three years of college under my belt, I realize that people are very skilled at hiding the not-so-great things about college and only showing the picture-perfect moments (s/o Instagram). Looking back, I was definitely guilty of this myself. When people asked me how things were going, I’d respond with a resounding “GREAT!” I felt more lost than I let on, and this led to a lot of energy devoted to pretending that everything was the best and college was the best and yes, Aunt Greta, my freshman year is going perfectly and I don’t have any problems at all.

dont let one bad day kill your confidence and progressAt the conclusion of my freshman year, I had the big realization that, in fact, everyone shares these experiences. Friends from home and school alike slowly opened up about what was really going on; we agreed that yes, college was thrilling, it was fun, but it was also hard in more ways than one. I was genuinely surprised that everyone felt this way, because they (and, to reiterate, myself) were just so convincing at painting a picture of perfection.

I entered my second year with a different outlook. Armed with this knowledge that everyone experiences similarly tough times, I promised myself that I would take steps to actively address these feelings. Ignoring them simply took too much energy, and frankly, didn’t work.

Instead of disregarding stress, sadness, or just the need to be alone, I learned to tackle these emotions head-on. My advice to you, from this sage 20-year-old college student whose one gray hair deems her a valid source of wisdom, is to embrace these days when you feel like you’re in a funk. Embark on an aimless drive, read a book, talk to a friend, watch a favorite episode on Netflix (The Office Season 2: Episode 10 is my personal go-to). When your roommate asks how your day was, allow yourself to answer, “Actually, not that good.”

I’ll leave you with a piece of wisdom that Johnny Depp so insightfully said, probably while wearing a side smirk and with perfectly tousled hair: “It’s a bad day, not a bad life.” This quote reminds me that it is perfectly fine – and normal – to encounter days when you feel off. Remember that everyone has these days, and also remember to take care of yourself. You’re worth it.