Natalie Barletta – Opinions Editor
Five classes, two jobs and zero free time. No, you’re not suddenly finding yourself back in math class, but rather that’s my life story in 140 characters or less.
However, I am not the one whose working multiple jobs as well as being a full time student. Many of my fellow classmates work either full time, or have multiple part time jobs as well as being a full time student. Some of them are also in Greek life, which as you can imagine has a lot of commitments as well.
Needless to say, many students have a lot going on in their lives. And of course, there’s this little thing called a life.
Sleep, what is that again?
This generation could be also known as “generation busy”. What does this mean? Well, we have to put multiple things on our plates that push us to the limit and when we’re not busy we feel terrible about ourselves. Therefore, the feeling of guilt when you finally take a moment for yourself occurs. This is also the motivation why we must push ourselves to the ultimate limit.
But, how much is too much?
I think that it’s when you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed about your schedule and you begin to feel suffocated by your schedule. You don’t know when you’re going to have time to do anything, such as your homework. You feel like you’re going to burst out crying at any moment, and you feel like it is finals season all semester long.
Sound familiar?
If you’re feeling stressed, the first thing that you can do is to find a few minutes to set aside for you time. During this time, you can make time for things that you enjoy, such as reading a book for pleasure (such as “Fifty Shades of Grey”-the movie is coming out in a few weeks), catching up on your favorite television show or doing a craft. You can even use this time to go to bed early, because let’s face it; some extra sleep can never hurt.
A friend recently told me ‘It’s important to take 20 minutes to do yoga everyday. If you don’t have time for that, take an hour out for tea.’ At first, I didn’t understand what he was saying, but basically it means that it’s important to take time out for you, and for those who don’t have time should take even more time for themselves.
You must be arguing with me saying all of your commitments. It’s important to go to class, because that will take you to where you are in the future. It’s important to work, because we all need money. However, if you’re starting to feel completely overwhelmed, then evaluate your life and commitments. Can you afford to drop a class this semester, if your course schedule is overwhelming you? Or, where can you fit a few minutes to do something that makes you happy, such as a craft or to read a book?
If you’re truly feeling anxious about your schedule, then talk to a trusted adult or friend about it. Maybe they can give you advice as to what you can do about your packed schedule. It’s okay to be busy, but the line is crossed as soon as you feel anxious about your schedule.
The bottom line is that you really don’t have to run yourself thin. You’re only in college once, and let’s face it; you don’t want to spend it stressed out. Take some time away from classes to breathe, treat yourself to a movie night or just to chill out with your dog. Your mental health depends on it.
Photo Credit: sivinjski danijel, ben matthews