For many students, college is their introduction to adulthood and independence. With this new coming of self-reliance, the need for time management becomes increasingly clearer.
While your focus is on receiving a rounded education, you may need to work to afford necessities such as the cost of an education, rent, groceries or other living expenses. If there is a certain club or organization you want to participate in, you have to find ways to be active and dedicated. Suddenly, you have to fit different responsibilities into an inconsistent schedule and plan ahead of time to avoid time conflicts.
With school, work and extracurriculars looming over your head, it can feel like there isn’t as much time for hobbies or trying new things, much less planning outings with friends or your partner. When you begin to see life through the lens of having too much to do in so little time, it becomes an easy and quick path to burnout.
In my almost two years at college, burnout has become one of my greatest enemies at the beginning of a semester. Every time I try to add new commitments to my plate, it seems to creep up on me even more as I stress over my ever-growing to-do list. Where I would once start off the semester with excitement for all that I would accomplish, it would get to a point where I struggle to get out of bed, lacking motivation for the same things that brought me joy a few weeks before.
However, it doesn’t always have to be that way. Balancing different responsibilities doesn’t have to come at the expense of your mental health, and you don’t need to choose between necessity and activities you enjoy.
What has been keeping me motivated lately is being able to look forward to something. Every day, I can look forward to having theatre rehearsals during the evening, no matter how time-consuming and tiring they are. I look forward to seeing my friends on campus and participating in meetings for the clubs I’m in. Now, I can also look forward to something I’ve planned months in advance: going to a concert at the end of March.
Having even the smallest things to look forward to in your week can do wonders for maintaining your mental health, keeping you grounded in the stress of responsibilities. If you don’t have anything to look forward to, then create it. Schedule a time to call with friends, make plans to visit your favorite shop, or curate a car karaoke playlist to sing your heart out to while carpooling. It is not a sacrifice of time if you are able to find joy in it.
Similarly, the promise of treating yourself is a great form of self-care. Getting yourself that sweet treat after doing homework or after a hard day can be immensely rewarding, as can rewatching a few episodes of your comfort TV series or picking up a new book to read. I especially like to treat myself with delicious food — my brain functions at its best when I am well fed — or taking a moment to play a cozy game with friends.
Above all, it’s crucial to carve out at least a few minutes for yourself in between all of your responsibilities. Whether it’s a five-minute break to stretch and do breathing exercises or taking 30 minutes to simply do a hobby you enjoy, your focus is on yourself and what you need at that moment. It’s alright to take a break and do other things at any time, even if it doesn’t fit into your definition of “productive.” After working your mind and body, you must rest them too.
Knowing that life exists outside of your commitments and that you are a human with needs is important. You can’t bulldoze through burnout and stress without further harming yourself in the process, and you can’t expect to perform well when you’re neglecting your mental and physical health. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, so pull through and head toward it.
