I am involved in several activities on my college campus, most of them pertaining to my major with a sprinkle of other fun activities thrown in. Like a lot of people, I juggle all of my tasks and rush to make all of my commitments… often, by the skin of my teeth. Going into my third week of sophomore year, I have learned an important lesson on the art of saying no. It sounds kind of ridiculous when you phrase it like that, but it is an important concept that I think everyone should master. It’s okay if you have to cancel plans, reschedule a meeting or drop something all together. You have to do what’s best for you, not for the organization. Although it may seem like you have to please everyone in order to be happy and get what you want, that’s just not the case. In the end, you know what’s best for you, and you have to take responsibility for that. It’s not your boss or advisor’s job to look after you and make sure you aren’t overwhelming yourself with activities. You’ve got to have your own back! Taking account of your personal feelings and how you feel about what you are doing is a crucial step in making solid decisions, and, more importantly, reducing anxiety. So if you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, don’t be afraid to take a breather and reevaluate your commitments. Take some advice from a self-proclaimed “busy girl”: giving yourself a break and cutting down on your schedule can actually reduce a lot of areas of stress in your life. So pour yourself a cup of coffee, reschedule that meeting if you have to and relax. We only have so many days in a lifetime, so we should take advantage of time to ourselves while we can!