School has been in session at Bluffton University for almost a month, and the amount of time I spend feeling tired seems to be reminiscent of the end of past semesters, not the beginning.
I assume I am not the only student who feels this way.
It is an inherent drive to be involved as much as possible and to not disappoint or let anyone down. There is also the quiet mistake of simply just taking on too much and not realizing it before it’s too late.
When one realizes this, it can be upsetting or even embarrassing to come to terms with. As I am going through these motions, I want to break through this feeling of failure.
I have this considerably toxic trait where I think if I am not always working or doing something productive, I am a failure or disappointment to others. This is not okay! I, and I hope many of you, remember the saying, “You can do anything, but not everything.” We are capable of doing anything we set our minds to, but it is impossible to do absolutely everything.
With my schedule, I constantly run from class, to work, back to class, to work again, get a moment to myself to eat, back to class again, and then either head back to my room before working again, or go to my internship in Lima.
There is this looming sense of responsibility hanging in my thoughts when I try to relax. Because of my running around and the stress of keeping up with deadlines, I have what feels like a “cloud of fatigue” surrounding my brain. My mind and my body feel tired.
A thought helping me get through and stay awake is, all of this hard work and stress I am powering through now will benefit me in the future; as soon as next semester because it will be lighter and easier since I got the harder courses and commitments out of the way now.
I want to share some things that I am learning and trying to improve on. Hopefully, they will help me as I tackle challenges throughout the semester, and I hope they can be good reminders to help you, too.
1. Acknowledge and listen to your body’s signals.
Your body has ways of telling you when you are tired, stressed and sick. When you are being stretched too thin or doing too much, your body will try to communicate through feelings of fatigue or through having stomach issues. These are things you cannot ignore, as they won’t ever get better until you allow yourself to have a break and focus on something that isn’t work or stress-related for you.
2. Be patient with yourself.
Don’t be upset when you are tired or don’t feel the best from doing so much from day to day. It is important for the voice in your head to be kind and patient when healing from stress or when you are simply allowing time for relaxation.
3. Make time for the things you want and need.
Life doesn’t need to be all about work. You are allowed to have fun or even just vegetate in your room. Of course, stay on task with your work, but don’t forget to spend time with friends, eat meals, read a book, or anything else you like to do.
4. It is okay to say no!
You don’t have to feel obligated to say yes to every request from a supervisor or friends. It is okay to say no sometimes! You need to put yourself first. If you are behind on sleep and want to stay in and your friends invite you to go out (again), don’t feel bad if you decide not to go just the one time. True friends won’t pressure you to go and will understand you are just making time for yourself. Do what you can and what you feel up to — but make sure you are taking care of yourself.
It is normal to be tired, and some days will be worse or better than others. Just make sure you are taking care of yourself physically and mentally. You and your health are important, and your worth is NOT determined by the scores you receive on class work.
Stay hydrated, make sure to eat, ask for help when needed and get some sleep!
Olivia “Lou” Westcott is a senior convergent media major from Toldeo, Ohio.
