Winter Break is coming to an end for many of us, and we’re gearing up to jump back into a busy second semester of school. This can mean a lot of different things, but primarily it means we’re going from not having anything on our schedules to picking up where we left off at the end of last semester, and maybe even adding on responsibilities. It can be so easy in school to get wrapped up in everything we think we NEED to do that we forget that ultimately, we need to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves first.

There is a lot of pressure put on students to try and fill our schedules. We are expected to take challenging courses and study so many hours a night. We should be involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities to show how well rounded we are. Our GPAs should be high; we should be picking up internships or working to gain experience we can use to get our first real jobs. On top of all that, we should still have time to harbor a social life, get enough sleep, and be active in the community. If you’re like me, you try to do way too much. You have lots of things on your plate, and you invest 110% into all them. And while it’s great to live life with that enthusiasm and passion, it can also be exhausting.

Think of yourself like a car. Cars need gas to run, just like we need energy. No matter how much you enjoy what you’re doing, it takes energy; and if you aren’t taking the time to refill, eventually you run out of gas. For someone who’s used to having a full schedule and being able to juggle lots of activities, running out of gas—or feeling burnt out—can be hard. It can leave you feeling defeated or insufficient; like you were incapable of managing all those different things.

But I’m here to remind you that you are capable. It’s okay if you need to prioritize and cut some things out of your life. Take a deep breath—recognizing you need to make time for yourself isn’t a sign of weakness; as a matter of fact, it’s the opposite. If you’re always giving 110% to everything you do, you run out of yourself to give, and that isn’t fair to you or to the people depending on you.

You deserve a break too.

Schedule time for yourself that is just for you. Go to your favorite coffee shop or park and listen to music. Journal. Go for a drive and just reflect on your week. Hell, take a nap or watch that show you’ve been dying to start. For once, take a minute and breathe. It’s not weakness—acknowledging that your mental health is important is strength in its own right. And if you decide you need to drop an activity or two, it’s not that you couldn’t handle it; it just wasn’t for you, and that’s okay.

Remember to put yourself first once in awhile.

Be nice to yourself. You deserve it.