With the advent of mid-term week, struggles to keep an internship, and balance various aspects of your life, things can get rough and we might not realize how much we are taking on and stressing ourselves out. So here's a list of five indications that you have too much on your plate and you need to give yourself a breather!
1. You feel overwhelmed.
Life can be a tough cookie. It is a rollercoaster ride, and a mad one, especially when you have been saying “YES!” to every opportunity that has been coming your way. Now, while it is great to be open to opportunities and grab them timely, one needs to know how much they can handle. I, for one, am drowning in the workload of this semester, am anticipating and excited about being an RA for the next semester, while applying for a position in the Executive Board of the Student Association. I feel overwhelmed and I know that I need to calm down a little. Slow and steady always wins the race.
2. You can't sleep.
The dreamer inside you has taken up so many jobs all at once, that you are never able to get enough time to actually dream. Even if you do get sleep, you end up waking up one too many times during the night, recollecting your schedule and agenda for the next day, and stressing over it. It leads to a vicious cycle of unhealthy activities. You stress, then you can’t sleep, which leads to you not getting enough rest, and then you end up being tired the next day, which in turn leads to a rather less productive day, thus causing you to stress over how you couldn’t complete the tasks on your "To-Do List", thus following the circle all over again.
3. Stress is now your middle name.
Should I change my Tinder profile and add "Stress" as my middle name? Because, I mean, if you are going to message me, you SHOULD be aware that I am under stress, and I might flip any time, even if you use a good pick-up line on me. Also, you should know that if you are going to ask me out, I will be able to squeeze out maybe an hour to see you, and will not text back because I am busy the moment I get back home. You should also be prepared to hear all about how stressful my week, or MY LIFE has been and let me vent.
4. You find it difficult to balance various aspects of your life.
Because all you can worry about are the tasks at hand. So you end up giving up on your social life. Mom calls, but you aren’t even in the right state of mind to tell her why you can’t talk. You end up getting frustrated really fast, and it harms the relationships in your life. You spend most of your time sitting in your own corner, doing your thing. I mean, you don’t even remember when was the last time you took the time to launder your dirty underwear. Turning them inside out and wearing them cannot work anymore.
5. Quality over quantity is no longer your motto.
Your priority ends up being ticking the tasks and activities off your "To-Do List." You don’t deem "Quality Control" as a necessary activity anymore. All you can focus on is just getting the work done and getting over with the day. Revision is important. Proofreading is important. Editing is important, but you are no longer able to see the importance of them.
A million opportunities are going to come your way. And trust me, you are very lucky when that happens. But remember, your mental and physical health is much more important than anything in the world. When one is healthy in every way, only then can they perform their job with efficiency and effect. Due to the growing issues of mental and physical problems in the younger population all over the world, the productivity is going down. We can only cater to Mother Earth and our fellow being when we are healthy and fit. So, take some time out. Breath. You got this.
