As a student, some days will never be perfect; the collateral collation of early mornings, lectures, studying, sports and repetition may give a sense of routine– however, as a student, it’s common to also be met with stress, deadlines, and the caving sense of imperfection. As a student, it’s more normalized than not to constantly compare yourself to peers, those already in success, and social pressures from family and friends.Â
For me, last night was not forgiving in those senses. I went to bed with millions of thoughts of upcoming exams and quizzes, all while dealing with the rapid decline in mental stamina. These pressures, unfortunately, carried to that following morning. I woke up with the undeniable urge to want to fall back asleep, not ready to start my day. “I should’ve slept earlier..”, “The sun is too bright..”, “What if I skip?”. These thoughts consumed my head, perhaps because I am a student, and these feelings are common. However, as a human, these thoughts are minor in comparison to my sense of touch, my sense of hearing, and as a human, my power of forgiveness.Â
Be kind to yourself. I reflect on those mornings and realize that through my discouraged mind, I neglected the days in which the sun shined brighter, and that spring’s leaves were coming back. Did I notice how much more frequent the birds chirped in this second semester? Or perhaps how gently the sun reflected through the windows of my room? All those worldly senses I missed because I chose to focus on internal emotions.Â
As a human, forgive yourself for falling asleep late; forgive yourself for being tired. Be kind to yourself not because you wish to have a good day, but because you deserve a good day. Acknowledge that we all share the same 24 hours– the same sun– the same environments– and in an institution, the same privilege to have access to education because a negative mind will never give you a positive life. Forgive yourself, because you deserve peace of mind.