As the daughter of a pediatrician, I am a bit high strung about some things. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my grades or academic/artistic achievements. I am also hyper-aware of my lifestyle regarding my diet, physical activity, and overall mental health. I am very anti-drug and anti-alcohol at this point in time, even though many teenagers and young adults are experimenting. I mean if you do anything in moderation, I don’t see a problem. Nevertheless, I personally do not want to get involved with these substances (like ever).

A lot of my friends tell me I need to loosen up about my grades and morals. “Chill out, it’s just a 90,” or “Weed isn’t bad at all; there’s no harm in doing it once,” or “Shut up, you don’t need to work out.” Regarding my academics, I am beyond anal. And to a point, it’s unhealthy because I give myself such a hard time even if I know I gave it my all. I always push myself to be better, but I have to be realistic and acknowledge that my grades won’t always be perfect. On another topic, I am quite verbose when it comes to short-answer questions because I want to make sure I answered every aspect of the question thoroughly. Some have made jokes that I am not a doctor’s daughter because I’m not concise, and I often babble on in presentations. It’s just a part of who I am as a student, and it makes me feel better knowing that I had too much to say rather than nothing at all. Now, I know it is probably impossible to keep straight A’s in college, but I still strive towards it because my work ethic and study habits have gotten me this far, and I think they can take me to a graduate degree or even a doctorate if I handle myself well.

Regarding substance experimentation, my mom has instilled in me the statistic that the younger you are when you start using drugs, the greater likelihood that it will be a problem for you in the future. For me personally, I think abstaining from it completely is the best way to avoid the possibility of misuse or addiction. I have been in many an argument about why I choose not to smoke or drink. I often feel that people think I’m not as fun because I don’t partake in those sorts of activities. My reasoning: I simply don’t want to, and I don’t like the idea of any of it; I don’t care if my friends do it, but I remind them to always be careful. Another thing about being paranoid and high-strung about life is that I am a mother hen. I am very protective of my friends and family and I always check up on them to make sure they’re alright.

I am very conscious of my health and my weight because my mom has taught me the importance of eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. I look at the calorie information on every foodstuff I buy or consume; I look at the saturated fat percentages, the carbohydrates and sugars, everything. I debate whether I want a cookie and water or soda and no dessert. I am always trying to be good about what I consume because it makes me feel better about my lifestyle choices, and it boosts my confidence. Some people get so angry when I say I need to lose weight and watch what I eat because I am not at an unhealthy weight, per se; it’s just I have high standards for myself and I want to feel good about my physique, which in turn improves my mental mindset and gives me a more positive outlook on life.

You might call me high-strung or paranoid, and you may want to tell me to take a chill pill. But after dealing with a lot of stress in high school in trying to figure out who I am, I know my boundaries, and I have realistic expectations. I am merely productive, incredibly focused, and determined to live the best life I can. I just have to remind myself to not blow things out of proportion, focus on the positives, and take a couples break from working to enjoy all that life has to offer.