A new school year has officially started. That means classes.

And studying. And Greek duties. And clubs. And intramurals. And jobs. At least, that’s how my schedule looks. How about yours?

Whether you’re in college or not, I’m sure we have one thing in common- we are all busy. There is material to study, tests to take, relationships to keep up, money to make… you get the drill.

If you look around you, I would assume that most everyone you know is juggling life and all of its responsibilities. However, I wonder how often those responsibilities are self-imposed. I know many of mine are. I will literally load my schedule until I have no free time, with the exception of the hours I sleep at night.

I’m not complaining because, at the end of the day, I want those obligations. I love what I do. They are the things I take pride in, and they’re those things that I so enjoy. However, I think that sometimes we naturally assume that being busy equals success, and in turn, we automatically think that free time equals failure.

Personally, I automatically assume that if I have spare time, I am doing something wrong.

We all do it. We overload our schedules because we have this idea in our minds that being successful means having no free time. We live in a world where the natural assumption is that being successful means being constantly busy.

We feel unproductive if we get too much sleep. We feel unsuccessful if we sleep in. We feel as if we are wasting time if we watch a bit of TV. Any time that is not specifically geared toward work or productivity is a waste.

At what point does that end? The reality is that we need to oversleep sometimes. We need to have that spare moment to watch TV every once in a while. Depriving yourself of this time does not mean that you are more successful.

Being physically sick due to stress does not make you successful. Having breakdowns because you’re so stressed does not equal success. It’s time that we, both college students and beyond, ask ourselves this question: is busy really better?

Now, I’m not saying that we should just laze around all the time; there is a time and place for everything. However, what I am saying is that we all need free time, time to simply catch our breath. Running yourself ragged is not a sign of success. Being busy does not necessarily mean that you are using your time wisely.

We all need to be reminded that being busy can prevent you from being present. If you are constantly running in circles with the illusion that you are running toward your goals, you won’t be able to enjoy what is around you. You can’t stop and take it in. Forget just soaking up and enjoying the moment; when you are running in this manner, you will be lucky to stop and take a half breath.

It is time to realize that being busy and being productive (be it socially, academically, or professionally) are two entirely different entities. Therefore, do those fun things. Let yourself relax and actually enjoy what you are doing. Though it is important to invest in other activities, don’t forget to invest in yourself.

So, as we move forward with the school year, don't forget that tending to yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually is every bit as important as tending to your obligations.