I have slept a total of six hours in the last three days.

I have had a total of eight cups of coffee — and that was just today.

Yesterday I ate a lemon poppy muffin and…well…that was it. Today I did step the food game up a bit and indulged in a bowl of Ramen and…I really wish I could say I had more than that. But I didn’t.

Between two projects, two presentations, and two other papers, this week has required an insane amount of my time solely dedicated to school work.

Now, I know that I did this to myself. I’ve had so much time to get a lot of these projects done but…well…sometimes between everything else I’m doing, those, what seem like, distant due dates take the backburner. Even last week I kept telling myself, “Oh, I have a whole week, I can just start it tomorrow!” Well, as it sometimes does, that “tomorrow” turned into another tomorrow and another tomorrow and another tomorrow until I put myself in the situation that would be, not only mentally, but physically exhausting.

Procrastination happens — it’s something most people deal with. What I really think strikes me as inexcusable this week was that I was prioritizing a paper, a project — a whatever — over my own health. And I justified it every step of the way; convincing myself that I just “didn’t have time” to grab lunch or dinner. Or that I “didn’t have time” to sleep. Looking back, I know that eating for thirty minutes really wouldn’t have been a waste of my time considering the fact that I spent so much time staring at a massive paper with a blank mind, unable to process any information.

That being said, starving yourself to finish an assignment, is not helpful. Drinking so much caffeine that your hands are shaking as you type, is not helpful. Trying to run on minimal sleep, is not helpful.

These three sentences are really just a reminder to myself. A reminder that I need to take care of myself. A reminder that my body can shut down on itself if I don’t meet those base needs. A reminder that my brain works better when it’s nourished.

I think forgetting to take care of yourself is part of most college student’s careers. But, it’s in those crucial moments where you have all the assignments due, that you really need to be taking care of yourself.

I don’t mean to preach but I sincerely hope that everyone remembers to eat today. I sincerely hope that you don’t push your body to its limits. I know that when you’re in that “get it done get it donegetitdonegetitdone” mode it’s so easy to get tunnel vision and miss the cues your body is telling you. Trust me, I’m so aware.

So, as we all turn in those important assignments and take those finals, please try to keep in mind that your mental and physical well-being are the most important things of all.