College is all about balance. Our main focus is on academics, but alongside that, we have to balance social life, our relationships with family and friends, and extracurricular activities. It is a lot to balance and some days are easier than the others. Putting external responsibilities aside, I feel it is also important to turn our attention inward and check in with ourselves. How am I doing? At this point in the semester, close to the end, it is a great time to reflect before we get into test season.
- Schedule time for yourself: With a busy schedule, it is easy to put off “you” time. I often find myself saying “I’ll just watch TV another time,” or “I’ll nap tomorrow.” If we learn to prioritize taking care of ourselves throughout the week, I think it could allow us to focus more clearly on our academics. Ensuring that you make time for yourself could mean writing in your planner an hour or so to do whatever you want, picking an evening every week to take a break from studying, or choosing to do three things each week that do not pertain to school that makes you happy.
- Remember it is okay to be selfish: The word “selfish” is often associated with negative thoughts, but it does not have to be a bad thing. Focusing on yourself and your needs will allow you to be a better friend, sister, brother, or whatever else to those who care about you. Being selfish can mean simply being more selfish with your time; if you don’t want to hang out on a Wednesday night, it is okay to say no. Further examples would be if you would rather take a nap than go to the movies, or if you would rather study alone. There are many ways to be selfish with your time and they do not have to be hurtful to others and should make you feel more happy with yourself.
- Rewards system: There is such thing as “treating yourself” a little too much. This is where balance comes into play, again, and we have to look back at where we can turn our focus more on our external responsibilities. A tip to avoid overdoing the self-care is to reward yourself with self-care or free nights. Setting goals like “I will finish my essay by Thursday at noon,” and having the reward be something like going out bowling on Thursday night instead of doing homework for a few hours. In this way, you still get your responsibilities done and are motivated by doing something positive. It balances both your external and internal responsibilities to keep yourself happy.
Destenee M.