This semester, I have found myself to be significantly busier than in previous semesters. Between my heavy schedule of online classes, two internships, writing for Her Campus, all on top of training for a marathon, it is safe to say that my free time is extremely limited.
Growing up, I was only told to keep busy. If you’re not constantly working or doing something productive, you’re wasting your time. And for a long time, I believed this mentality. I am the type of person that likes to be doing something constantly. I like to keep busy.
Yet, sometimes constantly keeping busy becomes overwhelming. I can’t always push myself to the limit and be productive 24/7. I have to take a step back. I have learned that if I am not attuned to who I am and what I want in my life, I will start to limit and hold myself back from accomplishing my goals.
There will be days, sometimes even weeks, when I am so busy that I do not stop working the entire day. I can sit at my desk for hours on end, often missing meals or a shower. I become so focused and determined to finish what I have to do, that I neglect myself entirely. I actively have to tell myself to take a break and take a step back.
I am no expert yet, but I am slowly learning how to put myself on the top of my priority list. Taking care of myself is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Usually, the first thing to go when I am busy or feel stressed is working out. I love going to the gym and running, specifically. When I take that time away from myself, I definitely feel worse mentally. I work best when I have a schedule. I like to have a visual agenda of everything that I have to get done and be able to cross things off when I finish them.
Because of this, I like to schedule a time to work out or go to the gym. For me, I find that this works the best. This method holds me accountable for actually completing my workout and not doing something else instead.
I have also started setting aside time for myself every night. I try to stop doing all work by 8:30 p.m. so I am able to have a least a little bit of “me” time. I usually will catch up with friends, hang out with my roommates, scroll through Tik Tok, or watch TV during this time. I like to destress and decompress before bed, and I have learned that this really helps me with that.
I used to do work until right before bed. I would go to bed stressed and wake up stressed when I did this. This was definitely not healthy. Changing this behavior has definitely changed my mental health for the better.
It’s also really hard for me to talk to anyone about how I am feeling. But, as much as I hate to admit it, talking to someone, usually, my parents, about how I’m feeling really does help me feel better and wind down from a crazy day of work.
I have definitely not mastered the art of prioritizing myself. It is something that I am actively trying to work on. This will not happen overnight. But, each day I work harder towards putting myself first as I should!