As a college senior this year, I am ready to leave. As much as I am going to miss this chapter of my life, I think a lot of seniors can relate to the part of me that feels like I have outgrown this place. I am burnt out from classes, from schoolwork, from moving my life around every three months, and from balancing it all. My last semester of college is essentially an internship, working a full-time job as a student teacher taking over a classroom. More than ever, as we take on different chapters of our life, working five days a week with eight hour days leaves everyone with the question of how to have a work-life balance. A lot of us are tired after such a long day, so how do we find time for what is important to us to live a healthy, balanced life?
Ditch the doomscroll
I was always told that time management is priority management: What you prioritize in your life shows in how you spend your time. Still, a lot of us resort to scrolling endlessly on social media the second we get a minute to ourselves. I am guilty of it too, it feels like you lose sense of consciousness and control, and then when you realize the mindless activity, you’re left wondering why you spent so much time doing absolutely nothing. In moderation, it’s great, but we all know there are better ways (for mental health and productivity in general) to spend your time. I’ve seen things on social media a few times that say you need five different hobbies: one for money, one for health, one for creativity, one for knowledge, and one for your mind. I understand the thought process behind this, but who has time for this? The average person does not, so let’s break it down and make it manageable.
What brings you joy?
Enjoying life is all about making time for things you enjoy. What we do on a daily basis is very monotonous: We wake up, eat, get ready, go to work, go home, go to bed. There is definitely time in the day to do some stuff we enjoy, but daily habits like exercising and cooking good meals can start to feel like chores very quickly. What are some things you enjoy that you don’t always make sure you do every day? While some hobbies develop into habits, it is important to make plans for yourself and others for activities that you enjoy. These might vary seasonally. For example, I find that I do more hiking in warmer weather or more reading in the summer on the beach, while in the winter, I like to crochet warm items.
My best tips for prioritizing self care
1. Make a list of the things you used to enjoy doing
As a kid, I used to love reading a lot. I still do love reading, but I find that in school I am reading so much other information in any given day that I do not have the energy to do it anymore after a long day. That’s okay!
2. Make it manageable and start small
Set aside time for one of those things a few times a week. I like to have a “wind down” hour for myself before bed where I pick something I feel like doing that day, but this might be a lot of time for some people to set aside when they are just starting out. Aim for a few times a week to start, even just for 15 minutes, and then build it up from there.
3. Don’t force it
Make this journey about what you need. Listening to your body is so important because you might need something different on any given day based on your energy levels. If you have low energy one day, maybe you lay in bed with a coloring book and color. If you feel like you want some movement, but don’t want a whole workout, maybe you do some light yoga or stretching. Again, I think this varies seasonally as well. Your body learns and remembers your behaviors based on your habits, so it might not feel natural, in my case, to read for fun in the winter when I am not in my preferred setting to do it (like sitting on the beach in the sun).
4. Slow down and wind down
One of the biggest pieces of advice I have resonated with recently is that not everything is an emergency. In a world where it feels like everyone is in a rush, know that you do not have to check all your boxes on your to-do list. Even your regular routines do not need to be rushed. Slow down the things that you have to do so you can wind down and relax for the things you enjoy too.
The problem remains that all of these things are easier said than done, of course. We all have an illusion of running out of time, or not having enough time for things, which can certainly be true. I feel that way too, even though I feel like I have pretty good life balance. With how much we are constantly on technology, it is definitely necessary that we all take space once in a while and find something that gives us longer term satisfaction than a quick scroll on social media. Hobbies can offer us that, and they are key to a work-life balance, feeling happier and healthier, and finding joy in the small things.