As college students and as adults, it seems our lives are constantly busy. It’s a constant rush of moving from one thing to the next all in the name of productivity and the namesake of being “busy.” We wear it like a badge of honor now; we can’t go get coffee because we're "just so busy!”
I’m not saying to give away all your worldly possessions and move into a cave to become a hermit, unless you want to—then go for it. What I am saying is that if we keep going, going, going, we are going to burn out. You can run yourself ragged until you find no joy in those activities you previously enjoyed or sometimes it may be something worse, like a complete breakdown.
We all seem to think we are superhuman and that we’re better than our peers who have reached that point of being burnt out. I’m sorry, but no. What’s more likely is that you just haven’t reached your own burn-out phase yet like a car that has a smoking tire, but isn’t aware quite yet that the tire may very well blow.
So, don’t blow your tire. Instead, take a step back, and allow yourself to breathe. Whether you’re religious or not, taking a thorough rest once a week is essential to keeping yourself sane and to continue your work.
I’m not perfect; my rest day isn’t the same day every week, or even a full day, but I am working on it. I have a few steps below that I think will allow you to carve out your rest day.
1. Pick a day.
Pick a day where you know you don’t have a ton of activities or pressure on you for deadlines or any other sorts of stresses. For me, this is Sunday. The way everything works out, I usually have my homework done, and it’s perfect to get the rest I need before another week at school.
2. Clear out your day.
Say no to meetings, try not to answer your email, make sure all your homework or obligations are finished before. At the worst, if you can't put off a task until tomorrow or finish it beforehand, dedicate that small chunk to doing only that work and then leave the rest of the day to rest.
3. Rest.
Rest means a lot of things to different people. For me, it might be reading a book for leisure or watching a show on Netflix. For others, it might be a day of hiking or doing nothing. Whatever you love, dedicate your rest day to doing it. I promise you will feel better at the end of the day.
I know it's not always the easiest to tell people that you won't be at their beck and call, or to let yourself put aside the ever-piling work. But I promise that if you allow yourself to have this time to rest, you will thank yourself for it.
Now go out and conquer; I believe in you.
