College students tend to have a lot on their plates. As a sophomore that is taking six classes, vice president of an on campus organization, while still trying to have an active social life, I feel the struggle everyday. It’s a constant battle; trying to make time for everything, and I sometimes get so caught up in doing so that I rarely have any time for myself.
I used to think that taking time to myself was selfish, that I was committing a crime of some sort. That couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
Taking time for yourself is essential to personal health. It’s actually something that I had to learn the hard way.
One day, when I was walking to class, I noticed that I was struggling to breathe. I had barely slept the past few days and my stress levels were off the charts. I was running on Redbull and other caffeinated beverages. I felt more like the walking dead than a real person. At first I ignored the issue, and continued walking to class. I figured that once I sat down in my classroom, I’d feel better, but I was wrong.
After being in class for about ten minutes, my state worsened. My breaths turned into wheezes. I started to feel dizzy. Part of my face started to feel numb. I decided that I was in a pretty bad state and left class to visit the Student Health Center. Upon entering, I was able to see a doctor immediately. I was expecting the worse, only to find out that I wasn’t dying, I was having a panic attack. The doctor was really kind to me, and basically explained to me that sometimes when people get too stressed, it can effect them not only mentally, but physically as well. He advised me to relax, and to try to rest more often. This story affects how I act every day now. A lot of my friends often make fun of me for napping so often, or for deciding to stay in instead of going out, but I know that I need to take time for myself every now and then, and I’m not ashamed of doing so. Self-care is extremely important, and is something that more college students need to do, so hopefully after reading this, people put more time into self-care, so they don’t end up like I did, or worse.