It’s no secret that things are difficult right now. With all the noise about politics, climate change, wars and the everyday struggles Americans have to deal with, it’s not surprising that people are more overwhelmed and stressed than they have been in years. In educational spaces like Pitt, there’s been never-ending uncertainty regarding funding, tuition and employment. The news seems to only highlight the most shocking and controversial stories to get the most attention. On top of that, each one of us has individual struggles to deal with. Personally, it has been difficult for me to separate the stress of my own life with the stress of the 24-hour news cycle. I also know I’m not alone in feeling that way.
In high school, my thoughts used to spiral so easily — I never gave myself a chance to take a break, and it wasn’t until I started going to therapy that I learned healthy ways to cope with this anxiety. Over the pandemic I had developed an obsessive need to stay in the loop of everything going on in the world. Even though I could tell you every single headline that popped up on my feed that day, I was the unhappiest I had ever been. This, however, is how social media is designed — it purposely sucks in our attention and keeps us engaged by any means necessary. This means inflammatory and reactionary content gets pushed out to as many people as possible because that’s what will make users pay attention. Regardless of whether the information is true or not, this content is pushed as fact. As a result, vulnerable engagers get upset and angry at the world they live in. Yes, there’s more than plenty to be mad at, but this kind of constant fury isn’t healthy.
With all the overwhelming events happening, the most productive thing any of us can do is make the best of what we have. The best way I’ve been able to do this is by forcing myself to appreciate everything I see and look for the beauty each object holds. Beauty is obvious for things like sunsets, flowers, animals, our loved ones — but it becomes less obvious the more stressors we’re under.
Last year, I had much more trouble appreciating the beauty around me. As a first-year in college, I was constantly stressed about starting a new chapter of life, and I didn’t want to mess anything up. The stakes for everything were so heightened, and all that worrying honestly made my life worse. I was put in Sutherland without knowing anything about it prior, and the thought of being on Cardiac Hill — such an inconvenient walk to and from main campus — felt isolating. I did all I could to spend time on lower campus so I could make friends and take part in university events, but the need to walk up and down every day was a lot.
This year, I live at Centre Plaza, which is even further from campus, but Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses regularly commute to and from Oakland, and the walk has almost no incline. I have secure friendships and take part in clubs that I’m passionate about, and I have the space to finally appreciate all my surroundings.
Shadyside is beautiful, but not just because of all the new buildings and chain stores. I’m talking about the railroad tracks right outside my window where trains screech by at excruciating volumes every day. I’m talking about the shuttle sign at the Centre and Morewood bus stop that’s loose enough in the ground to swing around and hang off of. I’m talking about the brown, midcentury buildings throughout the neighborhood that, yes — are old and could use a power wash — but have made me appreciate brutalist architecture in a way I didn’t think was possible. Maybe this is all a delusional distraction from the madness of the world around us, but I don’t care. These days, there needs to be some joy in our lives, and I find it in the mundane things around me.
If you’re a Pitt student and you don’t utilize the PRT buses, I want you to take the 75 to Ellsworth from Oakland — get off at Amberson and Ellsworth right in front of the Winchester Thurston School and walk down Amberson to the back lot of Centre Plaza. Walk up the road to the staircase, walk down the downward staircase and into the main Centre Plaza lot, and let yourself look around. It’s also important that you do this at night. The first time I did this walk I was with a group of friends after a long night, and I was absolutely taken aback by the mundane beauty of this short trail. Maybe the news has taken away your hope in the world, maybe your classes have you overwhelmed, or maybe you just can’t seem to fit in quite yet at Pitt. No matter what you’re going through, I can guarantee this walk will reset your brain.
Since the first time I took that walk, seeing the soft lights glowing from apartment windows and streetlamps, I’ve found myself appreciating every little thing around me. It doesn’t matter if it’s the windy snow that falls weekly, the blue lights on the PRT when it gets dark out, or the cargo trains that squeal by my window — we’re meant to look up every once in a while and appreciate the world around us. If we don’t, we’ll get stuck in our heads and caught up in the chaos of modern life. It obviously isn’t healthy to live in denial and ignore all current events, but it also isn’t healthy to spend every minute obsessing over it.
We’re losing the ability to pause and allow a moment to ourselves. Taking in the beauty of someone you know, of the bus stop you frequent, of the color of slowly dying grass by the sidewalk can not only change your day but even your whole week. Taking a minute to talk with friends you haven’t seen since before break and listening to the sound of their voices can heal even a bit of that worry.
When I’m having a really bad week, I like to walk around Phipps Conservatory — I don’t allow myself to go on my phone or even have headphones on. Even some of the wilting plants have beauty in the unique changes in their color and their sprawling roots. Don’t discredit the beauty in our everyday surroundings, or you might get endlessly lost in a spiraling 24-hour cycle.
Isabel Hoch is a sophomore English Writing major who obsesses over very specific things for months at a time. If she writes an article about something, it means her friends haven’t heard her shut up about it in weeks. To get in a heated debate over something dumb (or tell her a fun secret), you can email her at [email protected]