You don’t have to constantly hustle
As the last month of school is upon us, several of us are stressing about the number of projects and homework assignments we need to accomplish. Because of this stress put upon us, we students feel like we have to simultaneously get up early and go to bed late in order to get everything done on time. Having a hustle mentality can be helpful in achieving our goals, but taking it too seriously can take a toll on our physical, mental and emotional health. We as students need to realize we don’t have to hustle all the time.
Being constantly on the move is a quick way to experience burnout. Often, we don’t think we’re burning ourselves out until it’s in the late stages when we’re forced to stop and slow down. Falling out of our daily routines and using unhealthy coping mechanisms can deter us from being our best selves. If we don’t take time to focus on ourselves, who will? Burn-out can affect us in ways we’d rather not experience such as feeling anxious, overwhelmed or even sick. Recognizing when we have too much on our plates is important in making sure we stay healthy and productive.
We as students need to prioritize taking time for self-care more than we do. Eating the right foods and drinking plenty of water is important as well as getting exercise and doing a small activity that brings us joy. Don’t neglect friends either. Hang out with them, whether it’s talking about both of your struggles or letting loose and having fun. Stepping away from our computers for even a half-hour to do something we enjoy can be a great pick-me-up and a way to rejuvenate ourselves after working hard.
If we don’t pick a time to slow down and take a deep breath, our bodies will pick a time to do it for us. More times than not, it will be whenever a big test is coming up or when we need to accomplish several assignments. If we are experiencing symptoms of stress and anxiety, especially those that make us feel like we are getting sick, that is a major indicator that it’s time to step away for a while. While those thoughts may seem counterintuitive, they’ll allow us to jump back into our work with good energy to tackle our to-do list. It’s important to recognize the signs of overworking ourselves so we can take the time to slow down and de-stress.
In today’s mentality where hustle mindset is common, we as students need to remind ourselves that it’s okay to take breaks to focus on ourselves. Especially with all the last month of school thrown at us, we need to take critical steps now in order to prevent ourselves from feeling overwhelmed during finals week. Finding steps to balance out the hustle mindset are not only beneficial now, but for helping us manage life post-graduation. We as students need to take time to step away and breathe for a bit so we can finish the year off at our best.