Are you involved in so much that sometimes you forget what all you are involved in? Are you constantly in a meeting, in class, at work or volunteering? Are you one of those people who struggles saying no? Whether it be to friends, family, or somebody who wants you to head something up, you can't seem to find the will power to turn them down? Sometimes, you have to realize when enough is enough. You have to learn to recognize when you have too much on your plate and you can't fit anything else in. You have to learn that it's OK to say no.

This is one of the hardest things I have had to realize as I continue to grow up and am on my own in college. My parents always told me that I "didn't have to be in everything" and I needed to "stop over working myself and slow down," specially in high school, but of course I never listened. Well now I get it. It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be involved, wanting to spend time with your friends, wanting to make money and wanting to get good grades. How do you pick and choose what you should say no to?

Maybe you are taking on a tough course load with classes. These classes may involve some field experience hours or service learning hours. On top of that, you have rehearsals or practices to get to. Then after those are over you have a meeting, or five. You have to fit time in that schedule to work- because college students are in desperate need of money. Finally, you add on the piles and piles of homework that is due tomorrow, including a 5 page paper, a test and 4 chapters of reading. Do you have time for anything else?

You have to learn that it is OK to say no. It is OK to say no to another club, another sport or another organization. It is OK to say no to a more involved position that you get offered. Don't stretch yourself too thin. Don't let people talk you into things that you know you cannot find the time to do. Don't let somebody else dictate what you should and should not do with your life. It is OK to say no to those people.

That being said, it is not OK to say no to your classwork or job. Your classwork or job should be your biggest priority. You should be fitting your life schedule around your work or class, not the other way around. That is one of the biggest mistakes I have made- not making enough time for my school work. Rank what is important to you and worry about those tasks first; what time you have left can go towards your other activities. Your other activities are what you can say no to or even ask for help in; it just takes a little bit of practice.

On top of schoolwork and a job, you also need to make time for yourself. Being on a nonstop go from 6:30am-11pm is not healthy and is definitely not fun. Do you ever take a second to breathe? It's hard to do, but you really should. Because in that split second you realize that maybe you need to stop saying yes to everybody. That moment hit me just this week. I was asked to take on a more involved position with an organization, and I had to say no. And trust me, it hurt. You feel like you're letting somebody down; you wonder who will take the position if you don't; you know that it is something you would enjoy doing; but do you have the time for it? Trust me, saying no can be for the best. Your sanity, health and sleep schedule will thank you later.

If you are feeling overwhelmed already and struggle getting work done, remember that it's OK to prioritize. It's OK to ask for help. And most importantly, it's OK to say no. You aren't superman- you can't do everything—and that is perfectly OK