These past few weeks of school have been the busiest of my school career. It has been an all-out sprint, with deadline after deadline creeping up too fast for my liking. I have had little free time, with household chores taking up most of the time I wasn’t spending on schoolwork. But I still made sure to carve out times in my schedule to spend on things other than school and chores. This includes swim practice, going for walks, yoga, spending time with friends, reading, TV, etc. Even though I could have spent those hours on school, I made sure to give myself a break.
One of the lessons I learned the hard way this year is that you need to give yourself breaks. I have found that taking time for myself everyday has actually improved my grades, which seems counterproductive. How could spending time away from schoolwork improve grades? The answer lies in that taking time for myself, and taking care of myself, has greatly improved my mental state.
Last semester, I was working too hard for the first few months, causing a minor burnout halfway through the semester. I was anxious, I wasn’t sleeping enough, and my performance in school started to suffer. I was prioritizing school above everything else, including taking care of myself. By the end of the semester, post-finals, I felt so exhausted. The weight of months of anxiety and poor sleeping caught up with me, and Christmas break felt more like a recovery period than a break.
After having learned my lesson, I decided to put myself first this semester. I prioritized getting enough sleep every night, stopped setting my alarm on weekends, and focused on a balanced diet and staying hydrated. I’m not pushing myself quite so hard. And I feel so much better.
I still feel the pressure, the nagging in the back of mind whenever I do something ‘unproductive’. There is always a little voice telling me that I should be doing schoolwork instead, and that I’m wasting time. I sometimes even feel guilty for taking time off. But I still make sure to take time for myself, because feeling okay is always worth it. Getting enough sleep and eating well is always worth it. When I feel good, I can focus more on school and perform better on exams and presentations.
I’m not saying you should completely ignore school and do whatever you want. Still do your homework and studying and go to class, but also take an afternoon off here and there, go see a movie, go thrifting. University is a balancing act between school and everything else going on in your life; make sure to take some time for yourself every once and a while. Trust me, you’re worth it.
