Mental Heath has always been very important to me. Yes, mental health should be important to everyone. But sometimes people don't make it a priority, because it does not seem like something with an immediate or obvious result. It is easy and almost unavoidable to forget about mental health between the load of work, school and extracurriculars. Yes these things are very important, but do not forget yourself. Know your worth, and know the value of your finite time here on Earth. Determine your priorities, and put yourself at the top of the list.

You are a human that has mountains of potential. You are a human with morals, dreams, passions, friends, family, love, inspiration and a life to live. You have time to achieve so many things, and you will.

Sometimes I begin to feel very panicky and overwhelmed inside. I constantly feel like I am not doing enough to make sure my future is the way I want it to be. I feel like I am falling behind on the schedule of life. If you ever feel this way, you are not alone. Life is so scary, and there are countless choices to make at every turn we take. School can be very competitive, and it always seems that there is such a long way to go. People are constantly telling me to wait, and I am constantly reminding myself to wait. This is what I have learned so far: stop waiting. Often times it can feel like the world is falling in on your head without warning. But, I promise you, it is not. You are doing enough, and it will all be okay.

Do not let school allow you to forget that you are a beautiful human with spiritual, mental and physical needs. Do not let stress paralyze you from the life you deserve living.

I am a control freak, but I much prefer the term Control Enthusiast. I am a very high strung person, and I am always stressed out. I am the poster child for a Type A Person, and I love it, don't get me wrong. But, if you can understand because you are a similar type of person, you know that this is exhausting. This is exactly why I make mental health a huge priority in my crazy, hectic, beautiful life.

The constant reminder of achievements of those around you is awesome, but it also makes for competition. As human beings, we always desire to be the best. This natural desire often times leads people to compare themselves to others. Yes, some comparison is healthy, and can force you to create realistic goals. But, it is easy to get carried away while comparing your achievements to those of others.

We all know a very successful sibling, friend, coworker, family member or acquaintance that we aspire to be like. This is awesome motivation, but no one should ever feel like they must follow or fill someone's huge footprints. It can be easy to feel insignificant in the vast world we live in. But remember that you are enough, and you are worth it. Do not overwhelm yourself by comparing other successful individuals. You are and will be a successful person.

For some reason, I am the kind of person that requires tons of reassurance. I am entirely indecisive about anything, and I overthink everything. No these are not character flaws, these are the things that make me, me. I think most of the reason that I am so indecisive is because I feel like every little decision I make will end up being life altering. I know this is not true, but for me I try to think of every outcome of every choice possible. I constantly feel like I am going to make a wrong decision and crash and burn. I am always asking my mom or dad for approval and advice.

I want to achieve my goals, and I want to be happy. I also know that I only get one shot at this thing, and that is precisely why I am so cautious. But, I remind myself every single morning to be grateful and to slow down.

To me life is like a huge, delicate bubble that we are all constantly trying to keep from hitting the ground. Sometimes it can feel like we are quickly drifting towards power lines without anything to slow us down. Other times, we feel like we are floating freely through the sky without a care in the world. But, each of us constantly share one thing in common, the pressure of the atmosphere and gravity are constantly trying to pop us.

Do not fall victim to the overwhelmingly complex standards in life. It is okay to think differently, it is okay to do differently, and most importantly it is okay to live differently. The expectations that most people feel like they have to live up to are usually made up in their heads. Society creates norms, and standards for people based off of stereotypes, or preconceived notions of a person. To me, it is most important to prove these people wrong, and do differently. You have no standards to live up to. You are in a league of your own. Create standards for yourself that include being genuinely happy.

These years are some of the most important of our lives. Everything that we do will impact us down the road at some point. How well we do in our classes dictates the opportunities concerning college that are available to us. How many extracurricular activities we are in involved helps to determine scholarships that we can receive. How well we do on our SAT's and ACT's is another huge factor when applying to colleges. There are so many powerful decisions being made. This is a pivotal time in our life, but it does not mean that we aren't humans anymore.

I notice a lot of people trying to put living a life on pause because of school. School is the most important thing, and should be a top priority. I am by no means encouraging anyone to blow off school to chase some dream of being a free spirit. But, I am encouraging people to live a normal life and love themselves.

If you are someone who is very active on your campus you know that it is difficult to maintain a "normal" life between countless activities. Maybe the tight schedule I live on is not "normal", but I wouldn't trade it for anything. This is because I know that all of my hard work will pay off in the end, and also because I genuinely enjoy learning, working, and growing. But do not forget to slow down and enjoy. We are only children for a very short time in life, and we must not waste this precious time.

The rest of our lives we get to be adults, and worry about taxes and retirement. But for now we are teenagers, and this is not going to last much longer.

Every single day for me is jam-packed with homework, sports, school functions and studying for tests, but this doesn't mean that we should forget ourselves or our mental well-being. Our body can not perform optimally if we do not give it the care and rest it so deserves. I know people that become physically sick because of stress and anxiety from their school load. During times when there are big exams coming up, people become so focused on studying that their bodies begin to breakdown. This is not even remotely acceptable, nobody should have to become physically sick to make sure their GPA is spotless. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard says to, treat yourself like a small child. This reminder is so simple and small, but each time I read it, I quickly realize that I need to take care of myself.

I would like to challenge every overachiever to give themselves a break.

One of the most important things that I have learned from my mom goes like this: "You are only 100%. You only have 100% to give. Put 100% into one thing, instead of 10% into 10 things. Life is about quality, not quantity. Do not be the person that only gives a pathetic 10% to so many people that you become unhappy with yourself."

Make yourself happy, and the rest will fall into place. Life is scary, and we are all a little unsure where we are going. Slowing down and enjoying every opportunity that comes our way can help shift things into focus.

When was the last time that you lost track of time talking with your family or friends?

Spend time with your family, call your grandma and send a postcard to your uncle. Between the workload from each class and all the other activities that we sign up for, the day doesn't leave any time to be with our family or friends. Your parents, grandparents, cousins and siblings are not getting any younger. Value your time with your family and make them a priority.

We are overachievers, but we are also human beings that deserve happiness. Slow down, it will all work out. Make mental health a priority every single day. Treat yourself right, you deserve it!

Remember that mental health is about every day, not just when it fits into a schedule.