I have always been a people pleaser. It's practically in my DNA. I have a hard time using the two-letter word at the expense of myself. I found that recently this constant attitude of yes is really starting to wear down on me and has left me feeling as if I am an exhausted version of the energizer bunny. Self-care is important and must be built into your daily schedule whether it be for five minutes or two hours. I find that sitting down on the couch and binge-watching my favorite Netflix show with a face mask on really helps me relax. Another way is to sit down with friends and an iced coffee on my hand while listening to music. My boyfriend and friends constantly remind me that I need to step back and take a deep breath. It is easy to fall into saying the yes to all of the outside pressures that college brings. At the end of the day, I find myself needing to remember that I am only one person and can only do so much.

Saying no is theoretically not a difficult action in itself but I often find myself going back and forth because I want to make everyone happy. The concept of letting someone down has been a very hard pill to swallow over the past few years. I find that I am in a constant state of being sleep deprived during the week and then I find myself sleeping until noon on the weekends to catch up. In reality, sleeping until noon only makes it harder to wake up on Monday morning. I am an extremely extroverted person and I function best when I am around people. I plan out every day of my week so that I am both studying and hanging out with friends at the same time. I have been fighting a chronic illness has also negatively. I am learning to step back and it feels good to do what I want. I am planning out my schedules to give myself more time to reflect and have starting writing in a journal about the things I am thankful for every day.

I have gradually gotten better over the last few months, largely thanks to the support of my family and boyfriend. He is very supportive often keeping a busy schedule but also doesn't hesitate to remind me that no one knows me better than myself as clique as that sounds. I find myself saying yes to clubs, hanging out with friends, and having people over so much that I forget what quiet feels like. I would do anything for the people that I love but always remember that self-love is important too.