Being a full-time student, full-time employee, having a part-time internship, and juggling being a member of multiple clubs, this semester has been one of the most complex schedules I have put together for myself. I had to ensure that the schedule I made also allowed me time and time for the things that I enjoy. You may be saying to yourself, “you sound like you have no free time.” Most semesters you would be right, but only in part: what this semester has taught me is that all I had to do to conquer burnout and stress is setting priorities. As long as you can prioritize what’s important, you are in control of what you do.
Yes, time management is something that has played a large part in the success of that. Another thing that played a huge part is one compound word. The success of this semester I have to attribute largely to the word “non-negotiable.”
This word in my mind has allowed me to prioritize tasks that I have to get done. In addition to that, setting boundaries is something that came so much easier once I knew what was “non-negotiable” for me. This word has allowed me to rewire my brain into saying “no” more often because my brain was automatically rejecting anything that would interfere with what was “non-negotiable” for me. Some of the things that I considered non-negotiable are:
getting eight hours of sleep
Getting eight hours of sleep is important to me because I know that I need to get the hours in order to be able to do my best. Prioritizing sleep has done wonders to my motivation and allows me to stay on top of all of my assignments and responsibilities. It has also proven effective when combating burnout. If I was in an overwhelming situation where my hours would be drastically cut I would say, “Will someone die if I finish this in the morning instead?” The answer 90% of the time was no. So staying on top of my sleep allowed me to have motivation to finish my work and set aside time for myself.
going to the gym
Going to the gym is a priority to me. As someone that has a hard time staying still for long periods of time, exercising allows me to get rid of a lot of stored up energy that I might have. Since half of my days are spent sitting at a desk, exercising helps me become less jittery or distracted. Not only is it good for releasing pent up energy, but it has helped me live a healthier lifestyle and has helped with my mental health tremendously.
getting all of my homework done
Getting all of my homework done is a top priority and is one of the first things I do at the beginning of the week. One of my semester goals is to get my GPA up and one of the easiest ways to get points is to do the homework. This is why having my motivation up is so important to me. This semester I have been super successful in this task, and I’ve noticed that when I finish my homework on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the rest of the week seems super easy in comparison. The weekends are also so much more enjoyable.
meal prepping
Meal prepping has allowed me to eat healthier and lose weight. On top of this benefit, and with the speed at which this semester is going, having food ready to go is something that I am always thankful for because I can maximize my energy for other things. It also saves me money because it stops me from getting takeout.
having an afternoon at home
This was something I discovered I needed later in the semester. I noticed that having one evening where I can relax, watch a show or movie I like has done wonders for my mental health. Having the evening for myself also allows me to prepare for the next couple of days and get my thoughts together since I am always on the go.
One of the hardest challenges that I face every semester is burn out. Repeating the phrase “non-negotiable” over and over to myself when these necessary tasks were put at risk helped me to keep my goals in line and conquer them. Overall, what I learned is that you have to figure out what those “non-negotiable” things are for you before you can think about setting boundaries.