Aimlessly Going Out VS. Purposefully Going Out

College is unlike any other phase of your life. It’s the only time where you can go out with your friends any day of the week and no one would bat an eye. While it might be socially acceptable to an environment of college students, it’s also important we continue to prioritize our mental health as we navigate this strange but equally amazing era of our lives. 

While going out with friends creates some of the best memories, there’s been a recent emphasis on the discussion of going out aimlessly vs. going out purposefully. As college students it’s easy to simply be running through the motions of your week. Next thing you know it’s Thursday again and suddenly you’re getting ready to kick off the weekend, but you don’t even have a plan yet, you just know you should be going out. 

Spontaneous nights have the potential to be some of the most fun, however it’s important to stay grounded as well. It’s easy to forget that Saturday is a wide open day to run errands or check things off the to-do list, and not just an entire day dedicated to day drinking. Because realistically, going out to a darty can quickly evolve to feel like something you have to do every Saturday. It’s embarrassing to admit but going out can feel like a legitimate chore when at college, but it doesn’t have to. 

We’ve all experienced FOMO (fear of missing out), which is a completely valid emotional response to have when skipping out on a fun outing, but it’s critical to check in with ourselves every now and then. Limiting yourself to going out only when you feel a true purpose of the night, will allow your night to feel much more ‘worth it’ the next morning. If you feel a purpose to going out five nights a week, do it. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you only want to go out once, do that. As long as your mental and physical health are being prioritized and considered, the most important things are accounted for. 

You don’t need to feel bad or guilty for wanting to go out, just remember to be kind to yourself. A positive outcome of this could be reducing the amount of hangxiety you feel the next morning. Going out without a solidified plan can result in over-drinking and making regretful decisions. 

So next time you’re getting ready to go out on a Thursday night, ask yourself if you’re getting ready just for the sake of it being Thursday, or if you’re going to have a purposeful night.