Make Time For You

Every so often, we all hit rock bottom. We start to think that we are incapable of completing all of the tasks that must get done. We want to give up before we begin because the process scares us away from the thought of even trying. Small annoyances slowly escalate and all of the stressors that we once could bypass are standing right in front of our face. We feel suffocated and want nothing more than to quit. Currently, I am inches away from falling into this hole of exhaustion due to the vast amount of work piling up before my eyes. I want nothing more than to walk away from my responsibilities and just quit.

Deep down I know that quitting is never an option. Deep down, I know that I have all of the necessary tools to accomplish all that is necessary to get done. But, before I will return to tackling my to-do list, what I must do is take time for myself.

In these situations, it is easy for us to ignore our own well-being, as it does not seem as important as that 10 page research paper looming over our head. However, I am here to tell you that YOU do matter and that YOU are far more significant than any of those tasks that you have yet to do. After many years of overcomplicating and overanalyzing all of my work, I have learned that if I keep my sanity in check, I will get everything done with no problem.

This past year, I have gotten very proficient at finding time for myself, whether that be lying in my bed watching “Parenthood” or “Friends,” strolling around Harris Teeter aimlessly, or taking a longer path to get to class. Almost every single day, I try to find time to be by myself and that is what has enabled me to be more productive and more relaxed, despite the workload. It is funny because although I have added in more “Jen time” throughout the day, my GPA and health has improved.

In order for you to stay on track with your schoolwork, exercise, meal plan, and social life, you MUST take portions of your day out for just you and you, alone. It is crucial that you find little bits and pieces of serenity in your every day life, for this is what will give you the strength to be successful.

When I am stressed about one part of my life, I find that I begin to stress about an additional million other things. So, naturally, just last week I complained to my brother that I wasn’t losing weight, that every time I stepped onto that stupid scale, my weight didn’t change. Without thought, he jumped to quite a relevant explanation- I’m stressed, I’m not getting enough sleep, and I’m overexerting my body. This was certainly an eye-opener for me because it never truly occurred to me that my stress level could actually be hindering weight loss.

If we let all of these stressors manifest into our sanity, we will not only be able to perform as well, but more importantly, we will be heading toward an unhealthy trend. Therefore, we must find moments of serenity throughout each day and as a very amazing man once told me, we must focus on the mile that we are currently on and not on how many miles we have ahead. Take it all one step at a time and I promise that in due time it will all be done!

My challenge for you is to take 15-30 minutes of each day for the next week to do something for YOU! Make time for you because in the end, it is you that matters.