We’ve all been there. After all, crying is a natural response to a lot of emotions, including stress, sadness, and even happiness. However, as a Deerfield student, you may feel the need to keep it together all the time, but that’s not necessary. No matter who you are or what you’re feeling, it’s okay to cry. In fact, it’s even good for you. When you cry, your brain releases oxytocin and other endorphins that can be self-soothing and make you feel better than before. With that being said, as a self-proclaimed expert on this topic, I’m bringing you the top 5 places to cry on campus:
Your own room:
This one is fairly obvious. You’ve had a bad day, survived three class periods, made it through your co-curric, and kept it together through sit-down. Finally, you’re alone. As your door shuts and you fall face down into your bed, you can finally let it all out. Maybe even call your mom or a friend at home. Personally, I enjoy the privacy aspect of this location. As long as you keep the loud wails and sobs to a minimum, nobody even needs to know about this crying session. Your room is truly the perfect place for those intimate moments that you don’t want anybody else witnessing.
Your friend’s room:
It’s 2:00 AM on a Saturday night (or, rather, a Sunday morning). You’re sitting in your friend’s room having a late night heart to heart. Overtaken with emotion and delirious from exhaustion, you begin to cry. Luckily, your friends will always support and love you no matter what. If you haven’t cried in front of a friend before, I highly recommend it. It’s always nice to have a shoulder to cry on and it’s even a good opportunity to strengthen a preexisting bond.
The locker rooms:
There are a million reasons why you might cry in a locker room. Perhaps it was a bad practice: your teammates weren’t trying or your coach yelled at you. Maybe you lost an important game or messed up in front of a college scout. Maybe your dad said he was gonna show up but never did. Or maybe you just suffered a career ending injury and nothing will ever be the same. Whatever the case, being an athlete can bring out a lot of emotions and the locker room is a great place to let them out. Like the teams they serve, locker rooms represent a sense of camaraderie and support unlike any other. Even if you choose to be in there alone, knowing that you have a team that has your back can provide comfort. You know that whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to go through it alone.
The Koch Bathrooms:
Specifically, the third floor, near the math classrooms. You’ve just gotten a 36/100 on a test and you’re feeling absolutely defeated. If you’re lucky, nobody’s in there, and if you’re not so lucky, a freshman washing their hands may stare at you in the mirror as you make a bee-line for the big stall. Locking the door behind you, you let out a sniffle and a tear rolls down your cheek. Your mind races with questions and worst-case scenarios: how will this affect my overall grade? What are my parents going to say? Am I even going to get into college after this? Conveniently located, typically empty, and with a pleasant ambiance, these bathrooms are the perfect place to cry as you wonder in despair. As you come to the realization that this stumble is not the end of the world, you pull yourself together and head back to class.
The Health Center:
Coming in first place, my personal favorite place to cry on campus is the Health Center. The Health Center is perfect for the days that you’re seeking extra support. Not only do they have an awesome staff of super understanding doctors and nurses, they also have amazing counselors. You can either reach out to the counselor on-call or schedule an appointment with any of the counselors in the future. Additionally, if you’re seeking somebody who understands the day-in and day-out stresses of being a Deerfield student, you can meet with a peer counselor. Peer counselors are on duty from 7-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays. Equipped with a range of amazing resources, the Health Center can provide a calming, caring, and supportive environment to cry.
With all that in mind, I encourage you to utilize these places for crying as much as need be!