Eavesdropping is a minor passion of mine.

I revel in hearing interesting and often hilarious bits of other people’s conversations. What I love about it most are the moments when you hear something absolutely bizarre, but have no context for it.

Example: “Then Harold told me to get out of the bathtub with all my clothes on and to hide the liquor. He’s such a buzzkill.”

Campus is prime real estate for eavesdropping. There are so many people and a wealth of conversations going on daily. Lately, instead of overhearing the captivating material I’m used to, I’ve been hearing something different. Words like “stressed,” “nervous” and “tired” have been polluting the air, at a nearly toxic level.

What happened to random excerpts of conversations that I fought so hard not to laugh at in the library? PEOPLE OF CAMPUS, WHERE IS MY ENTERTAINMENT?

OK, OK, I see where you’re coming from. It’s February — we’re in the home stretch of the winter months. Although we’ve been catching glimpses of spring, snow is in the forecast for this weekend. It’s also close to midterms, and everyone is itching for spring break.

Being a working college student is a balancing act. Sleep is a precious commodity, and graduation may seem light years away. Naturally, when you feel overwhelmed words such as “stressed,” “nervous” and “tired” are bound to sneak into your vocabulary.

It’s easy to put your well being on hold for the moment, but these moments eventually add up and can take a serious toll. When you feel like you need a break, take a break. Take a nap, take a deep breath or take a fistful of candy from the kitchen.

I’m not advising that you neglect school, but I know for a fact taking a minute to regroup allows me to come back to my work refreshed. Also, removing stress from your life gives you room to add spice back into your conversations.

Go ahead, talk about whatever you want. Just know I may be listening.