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Student Opinion Column: Get Out of the House to Beat Winter Blues

By: Natalie Reeves, freshman at Leigh High School on March 14, 2017

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            Have you ever been cooped up inside, your mind going a thousand different places, but not actually accomplishing anything?  Have you ever felt like you just needed to get out of the house, just to get some fresh air? Whether it be going on a long trip to another state, or something as small as driving a couple miles, I think all teenagers can agree that getting out of the house every once in a while is a GREAT thing.

            Like most teenagers, I am never home. I go to school all day, then I have afterschool practices, and when I finally get home I have homework and everything else to do before the day starts all over again. The life of being a teenager can be stressful. As adults, life is still stressful. Adults have to worry about paying bills, holding down a job, supporting a family, and lots of other stressful things. Sometimes it makes me just want to go on vacation and get out of the house. This is why getting out of the house every once in awhile (to go somewhere other than school!) is a great thing.

            If teenagers didn’t get out of the house every now and then, we would never be able meet new people, let off steam, or just have a good time whether we’re by ourselves or with friends or family. Getting out of the house gives us a chance to regroup and just take a break from everything else going on.

            This past week I was cooped up in the house all week because of an injury. After being in the house for an entire week and not being able to do anything, something as simple as a car ride made me feel so much better.       

            I’m not saying parents should let their teenagers go out and stay out late every night of the week, but they shouldn’t be so strict that they make them stay home all the time either.  And with the winter blues upon us, this advice can be useful for people of every age, not just teens. 

So the next time you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or just want to have a good time, get up off the couch, put on some shoes and a coat, and do something!  You don’t have to take a long vacation to a different state or across the country; you can just go for a car ride to the closest town. But remember: JUST GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!