I’m standing on a street corner in Nashville, sending a text to a friend. “Sorry man, I’m not home today,” I type before heading toward an art museum.

Today’s my day off, and as I make my way through the heart of this giant city, all I can think is “I needed this.”

The reality of college life is a far cry from the promises of parties, shenanigans and all-around good times movies put in the mind of  15-year-old me. There’s a lot of hard work involved.

You’re working toward a paycheck, you’re working toward better grades. Hell, you’re working to remain social without collapsing into a nervous heap in front of your peers.

It’s easy to burn out.

Every year, usually near the end of spring, I get this close to burning out. The senioritis starts to kick in and the responsibilities grow, until I’m staring at my grades on Blackboard, wondering “How little effort can I put in and still pass?”

What I’ve found gets me back into the spirit of putting in 100% toward the rigors of college life is literally avoiding the rigors of college life for a day.

Try it sometime—pick a day when you already don’t have anything scheduled (a day like that comes around every now and then), and just treat yourself.

Whether it’s walking along wooded trails and reading a good book at a park, doing a bit of adventuring in a nearby city, or even just marathoning a new show on Netflix in your pajamas, find something to pull you away from the daily grind and just recharge.

Admiring the museum’s exhibits, navigating halls of pricey pottery and galleries of priceless cars, I reflect on why I do this every year.

It’s because I want to be able to do this every day, someday.

That’s why I continue to give my all in my classes, at my job, even amongst my friends, even when the senioritis begs me not to. My hard work today will be rewarded tomorrow, and it feels good to get into that mindset.

This part of our lives is supposed to be tough, but it doesn’t have to be crushing. If you’re starting to feel the burn, take a time-out and cool off.

You’d be amazed at what a little “me time” can do.