College is stressful. I’ve just finished up my midterms and I have pulled two or three all-nighters in the last 10 or so weeks. Every morning I’d try and rub mascara off from under my eyes only to find that it’s not mascara, it’s just my dark circles. I’m doing what I love every single moment of every day, and I certainly wouldn’t have it any other way. However, finding a balance between working as hard as I can and taking time for myself and caring about my well-being has proven to be incredibly difficult.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have it all figured out. A close friend of mine got me a notebook to write down daily tasks and how imperative it is they get done because I’m “just so stressed out.” It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve received in a long while. Not only because of its silly novelty quality, but also how important it is to manage time well and prioritize tasks. However, within the important school-related tasks need to be tasks that involve taking care of yourself. I learned this the hard way.
All-nighters, as we all know, are not very good for you. The time you spend not sleeping and working on things ends up becoming a waste because when sleep deprived, the work you put in dissipates the following day and doesn’t stick. The all-nighters I’ve pulled left me groggy, grumpy, and sluggish throughout the day, and that’s putting it lightly. As important as it is to get work done, it’s more important to take care of yourself and get a reasonable amount of sleep. On average, students of college age need over eight hours of sleep, however, we all know that’s unrealistic with our workloads. I know I, personally, can function like a normal person on 4 hours of sleep, so if I have a night in which I must stay up late to work on things, I force myself to go to bed at least 5 hours before the time I should wake up. Regardless of what it is that needs to be done.
Of course, there have been days when that does not happen and, one night, I got only an hour and a half of sleep before having classes the next day. Not only was I wasting my own time, my peers time, and my teachers time by not being fully present, I was incredibly tough on myself the entire day because I stayed up so late. My mental health suffers when I don’t get enough sleep or if I put too much strain and stress on myself, and I’m sure the same goes for most people. Obviously, school is important, but the training we receive at AMDA works best when you’re healthy and aware of the world around you. The feeling of dying inside because of an all-nighter or beating yourself up about things that cannot be controlled is not healthy, and will not allow me, and many others to not succeed.
These are just a few of the many examples of what NOT to do. In the end, put yourself first. If you’re overworked and physically can’t do some things, prioritize and see what’s important. In the end, you’re the number one important thing in your life. There are ways to get things done while still taking care of yourself, but it’s hard to say exactly what those ways are. For me, I FaceTime my boyfriend while I do homework because he keeps me on track while making me laugh and keeping me calm. For others, they may put on classical music, or do it in a silent place, like a library. As much as I’d love to give advice on how to take care of yourself, I just can’t. Taking care of yourself starts with you, so put yourself first and find what exactly you need to succeed.
