Your to-do list is probably 80 miles long, you may or may not have a friend causing drama in the group chat, and if you’re like me, you probably haven’t really taken a moment to yourself to just breathe.
As a college student, it’s really hard to remember to put yourself first. There are a thousand things you need to get done in a day, but in reality you probably only have the time and energy to do ten. This semester, make an effort to make yourself a part of your top ten! Last semester, I ran myself dry stressing about my grades and giving bits of myself to others, and I paid for it. I could feel myself getting frustrated with the way things were happening because I felt like I didn’t have control over a lot of aspects of my life. Once I started taking care of myself and allowing myself to choose the things that took up time in my life, I let go of a lot of that stress and pressure. Here’s how I got to a point where I could recognize my individuality and was finally able to celebrate it.
- Say No!
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Oh my God, I am probably the biggest people pleaser ever. If I say no I feel like I’m disappointing 80 different people and myself at the same time. But be honest with yourself, do you have the time and energy to commit to that thing? If the answer is no, or if it’s just not sitting right with you, say no! It’s not fair to shortchange yourself and keep running your battery down until you’re incapable of doing anything that actually brings you joy. If it helps, it’s also probably a disservice to whoever/whatever you’re saying yes to, as well. If you can’t commit to the responsibility, you probably won’t be doing the best you could be doing.
- Say Yes!
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Say yes to things that make you happy. Are you sad because all of your friends are going to get pizookies but you are sitting at your desk irrationally stressed about homework and grades? I promise you, taking a brain break and getting out of your head for an hour will do WONDERS when you sit back down at that desk. Being surrounded by people who think differently for just a little while makes it way easier for me to think and come back to things that seemed impossible before.
- Take Your Time Getting to Know Yourself Again
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One of the most jarring things about this little self-discovery experience I had was realizing that I had changed. Believe it or not, I’m not the same 11-year-old kid that wanted to be the next Hannah Montana in pink corduroy pants. But to figure that out, I had to realize that I’m not exactly sure who I want to be, and that’s okay! A lot of people don’t know exactly what they want and who they are, it just takes time and patience to relearn what makes you tick, but I promise it’ll be worth it.
Take your time, be gentle, and make yourself a priority this semester and every semester after that. You can’t pour from an empty cup!