So a lot of people find themselves with a lot of free time, but it is what you do with that free time that really matters. So what do you do with your free time? Are you doing something that is going to benefit you and further your career or long term goals, or are you wasting the time that you have. This is something that everybody should consider, as time is a precious thing that you can never get back. In saying this, my focus in this article is not on people wasting their time, but people overworking themselves and committing to too many things.

As I have gotten older I have realized that this is a constant challenge that I face. This started in high school for me as I was a student athlete. School was my priority and volleyball came second, but I still had enough time in my day to chill and relax and get my work done and still have time to myself. Now that I am in college there are even more opportunities for me to get involved not only with my school, but within my community. As I have been researching places and organizations to be apart of I have come to join and make commitments to a whole bunch of places which at times can be overwhelming.

This is what has lead me to writing this particular article. I sometimes find myself extremely tense and stressed because I want to give everything I do 1000% but in reality it is not feasible, and although I wish I could do everything and be in all the clubs on campus, it's simply not practical. I have had to learn to pick and choose what I am doing in my free time, and being able to say no has been huge.

Since I am a very friendly and nice person saying no to people is one of the hardest things for me to do, because I want to be able to be everywhere and do everything and be social but at the same time I know that I already have a lot on my plate and don't need to add anything else. However, I am an extremely hard worker and try to always keep a positive mindset because I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to.

So, what I am saying to you is that it is okay to say no sometimes. Sometimes you just need me time and to decompress and take a nap, but you have to allow yourself to do that. If you are like me and want to work the best and be the best at everything you do, you need to develop a firm no. This is the only way you can help yourself and give yourself a break, because the worst feeling ever is feeling burned out, and then you are not able or not even motivated to do the things that you want to do.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed, just a take a few deep breathes. Breath in, breathe out....Breathe in, Breathe out. You've got this, if what you have on your plate right now is too much, just take a second and reevaluate what is most important to you. For me, whenever I am overwhelmed and feel like I'm putting all of my eggs into too many baskets I just remind myself that for me my first priority is my education, and I prioritize everything related to that first. Whether that means missing a social gathering, or for me not doing Gospel Choir this semester. I know that school comes first and nothing comes before that.

So my advice for you is to never sell yourself short, but even more so never overwork yourself. Your mental and physical health is so important and overworking yourself causes so much stress on the body. Take care of your health, get involved, stay positive, keep moving forward. You've got this! :)