Going to the nightclub on a weeknight? Yes. Skipping an important class for a pitcher at The Rathskeller? Happily. While saying yes can be fun, saying it too much can lead to a lack of boundaries. This is your sign to change that and enter your  villain era by setting healthy boundaries. Gone are the days of villains being masked and malicious — now, people can proudly enter their villain eras by reclaiming their power and becoming the hero of their stories.

A villain era has no singular definition — how a villain era manifests itself depends on the person you ask. It can look different from person-to-person, a conscious decision to prioritize yourself across different aspects of your life. 

“A villain era means that you’re being selfish in a good way because being selfish is not a negative thing,” said Emily Lavin, who is a junior majoring in biochemistry and nutrition. “Selfish can be a positive thing; it just depends on how you attach meaning to it.”

Lavin has worked with the University of Miami’s Counseling Outreach Peer Education group since her first year. She recalled how her own mental health journey inspired her to join COPE, saying she wanted to do work that felt meaningful on campus and help tackle the stigmas surrounding mental health.

“A villain era is when somebody stops caring about what others think of them and focuses on what they want regardless of other people’s actions,” said Abby Casamassina, a junior double majoring in marine affairs and biology.

“A lot of students resonate with the idea of reclaiming themselves through their villain era and prioritizing their energy, peace and happiness,” said Lavin.

Sophia Friedenberg, a senior majoring in psychology, described her villain era. For Friedenberg, a villain arc meant embarking on a vengeful post-breakup glow-up.

“What a villain era means to me is that you are basically wanting revenge and trying to show off and show that you’re doing well,” said Friedenberg. 

While Friedenberg intended for her villain era to be a vengeful dish best served cold, her villainous cape wound up transforming her into her own hero. 

“So my villain era was that I had a glow up … I kind of learned that I shouldn’t base everything on spite, but it was a good motivator to get me to where I wanted to be,” said Friedenberg. “I had a healing era where I was finally doing things more for myself, which was refreshing and relaxing.” 

So, a villain era means doing things for yourself rather than against others. That said, what are some ways you can put this into practice?

Oftentimes, it can feel selfish to decline invitations or set boundaries for your own well-being. However, part of entering your villain era means conquering the feeling that you’re a bad person just because you aren’t bending over backwards for others.

“Someone who wants to start setting boundaries with people but feels awkward or guilty doing so needs practice being comfortable with being uncomfortable,” said Lavin. “We can’t control how people respond or react to what we say; we can only do what’s best for us and communicate our needs clearly.”

Casamassina said that, especially during stressful times, a villain era is akin to a self-preservation era. 

“Growing up and in high school, if anybody asked me for anything, I’d always be like ‘sure, I’ll help you out’. But then I think you have to learn that you can’t help everybody do everything all the time, because you need to do things for yourself,” said Casamassina.

Lavin said that someone looking to enter their villain era should get in tune with themselves, paying attention to which activities make them feel recharged. 

“Let’s say I love the way yoga and working out make me feel, but can’t do it every day. I’m gonna plan ahead and ask myself which days I think I’ll need a workout the most,” said Lavin.

Friedenberg said that an important step to entering her villain era was to stop comparing herself to others.

“I used to be a major comparer. I would be like ‘oh this person’s life is great, I have to be just like them,’ until I realized my life is my own destiny,” said Friedenberg. “Once you stop comparing yourself to other people, you realize how happy you are.”

In the same vein, Lavin said she believes social media is a highlight reel and doesn’t show how people are feeling or what they’re going through.

There’s no single blueprint for entering your villain era — some take the dramatic cape route, others just ghost a few group chats. But one thing’s always consistent: prioritizing your own well-being. Remember, stepping into your villain era doesn’t make you the bad guy — it just means you’ve finally taken the lead role in your own origin story.

words_caleigh russo. illustration&design_joel wainberg

This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2025 print issue.

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