Breathe. Relax. Take the time to just sit. Exist. Appreciate.

It's so hard in this day and age to be able to do these things. I can't tell you the last time I was able to sit still without one million things going through my mind at once, or without simultaneously scrolling through and absorbing the virtual lives of the people I'm connected to on social media. This level of stimulation is simply a part of our modern day culture, but it's also exhausting. We've become addicted to this fast pace, multitasking lifestyle. But the truth is: we're not made for it.

We don't thrive on over-exertion and caffeine.

We thrive on moderation, balance and personal harmony.

The unfortunate thing is that not only is our society simply more accustomed to being busy, we romanticize it. It's a glorified thing to be exhausted. We perceive the endurance of exhaustion as being strong, motivated and a functionally contributing member of society. We confuse resting with laziness, and relaxation with procrastination. But relaxing is NOT a crime.

I think it's easy to forget that we are natural beings. We're not resilient robots who can healthily function without a healthy dose of chilling the fuck out. Seriously! You may think you can pull off a week of all-nighters and a jam-packed schedule, but in reality, some aspect of your life will suffer—whether it be your physical, mental, or emotional health.

For as long as I can remember, I've been busy. Somewhere in between the jobs, sports, musicals, private musical instruction, AP classes and graduating high school in three years, I was a teenager. Now, I'm a somewhat functioning adult, taking nine college classes, working and partially going nuts. As any "Grey's Anatomy" fan will know and understand, the carousel never stops turning.

I've only recently started to place more value on resting, and I can't express the difference it makes in my overall quality of life to just allow the time to take care of myself. It's a delicate balance to maintain productivity while also prioritizing relaxation, but it is one that's extremely important to master.

Even though it's so hard to relax with all the negative associations with the idea, it's pretty simple.

Take a bath, go on a walk, hike a mountain. Lay on your couch, close your eyes, and listen to your favorite album. Cook a meal, read a book, take a drive, go take yourself out to coffee! It's very simple to treat yourself once you decide to do it, and a nourished soul is a happy soul.

So breathe. Relax. It's okay to take the time to just chill out.