When I was in fourth grade, my school created a brand new playground. Each grade was only allowed to play on the structure once a week. Thursdays were my turn. Every morning I participated in the same monotonous routine, irritably drudging myself to class. When Wednesday rolled around, I was ecstatic; I would cheerily greet everyone, raise my hand in class, and complete my homework during the day. At 3:00pm, I would run onto the big yellow school bus, awaiting the following morning. Once it reached my stop, I would walk down the steps and my friends would yell “don’t forget about the playground!”
It may be surprising that I remember every single detail of a seemingly ordinary day; however, those moments defined my childhood. My friends and I would give a weekly reminder to our parents “pick us up 1 hour after school ends, because we need enough time to use the monkey bars.” At the time, I thought that my elementary school in Ottawa was the most important thing in the world. My biggest concern in 4th grade was whether Sophie and I were allowed to be partners for the project or if we would be assigned roles again. I remember hating school, and like many of my peers, idolizing the time when I would be a grown up. I didn’t know any better.
I was so infatuated with the concept of adulthood, that the small moments fleeted. I don’t know when the world of Silly Bandz, tag, and manhunt turned into stress, timelines, and managers. I also don’t know when I stopped caring about the playground on Thursdays. What I do know is that I would give anything to go back to 4th grade for just one day, so that I could appreciate my time rather than waste it.
Have you ever heard of hedonic adaptation? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either, until recently. In its essence, hedonic adaptation is the psychological tendency for humans to get used to the good things in their lives. It happens to the best of us; after a year, the shiny new bracelet doesn’t seem so shiny anymore. While the notion of returning to a baseline level of emotion is vital for society to function, it is also important to be mindful of your emotions. When you start peering too far into the future or awaiting what’s next, take a minute to ground yourself in the present. Invest in strategies for coping, whether that be taking up a hobby or talking to your friends. Regardless, try to make the present moment the best it can be. As they say, today is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be.
Since coming to this realization, I've made an active effort to appreciate what I have. This also includes my identity, personality, and background. I don’t want to look back in 10 years and have a similar perspective about my third year in university, as I currently do about 4th grade. It’s easy to take life too seriously and get overly caught up in the small tasks. Unlike the carefree and relaxed world I lived in as a ten-year old, the stress is heightened now. And it’s not going to stop anytime soon. However, it’s important to retain elements of your childhood and not let your inner kid be suppressed by external factors. So whenever I feel suffocated or exhausted, I think back to my friends yelling from their seats “Don’t forget the playground!”
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