Life moves so fast.

I know for me, at least as soon as senior year started, I was sucked into a whirlwind of chaos. Usually, when I return to school after summer break, there's a noticeable sense of novelty. It pervades the first few weeks of school before gradually wearing off into normality.

This year was quite different. Returning to school didn't even feel like a "return" because quite honestly, it felt like it had never ended – what with all the college applications, on top of sports practices, on top of summer reading tests, on top of everything else. Individually, these things may not be terrible, but combined, they engulfed us with absolute dread, essentially covering up any trace of bittersweetness about the "last first day."

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my school. I hate to sound like I'm complaining or "annoying," and that is not my intention, but we've all been there. The flood of work and responsibility that hits us is a reality that we'd prefer not to deal with it. We'd all rather return to the long, hot summer days where we could do what we pleased, at least more so than we could during the school year.

I willingly fill up my schedule with activities because it's what I love, but of course, that means I subject myself to the perils of time management and stress. Going from one thing to the next, it is easy to let the present take precedent over other things like friendships, faith and family.

But even more importantly, life can get in the way of "me-time." Falling into routines seems like just another part of life. Chugging through our plans without any breaks sometimes seems necessary and productive, but without taking a moment to pause for reflection, it becomes tiring. We've all heard of or even experienced burnout – academically, physically and emotionally.

So take a moment for yourself. Take a breath for a minute or an hour. Release yourself from your responsibilities for the time being, and let yourself concentrate on yourself.

Sounds vague and abstract, doesn't it? When we move so fast that we forget to stop and smell the roses, we miss out on experiences and self-lessons. We all need time to relish in the happiness and sulk in the sadness. Self-reflection doesn't necessarily mean staring at a wall and thinking about all your life decisions (in fact, I would hope it never means that).

Maybe that's just the introvert in me speaking. Like most introverts, I value my alone time like nothing else, but I still like to believe that everyone needs quality time for themselves.