If you are like me, it is very hard for you to relax. Even the word relax is stressful. I am forever told to “just relax.” I am a very anxious person, and I am definitely what you would call a “worry-wart.” I worry about everything and anything you can possibly imagine. Being in the hardest undergraduate major declared by many studies and being at a trimester school tests my anxiety and my ways of controlling it. There are quarters that are better than others for me, but the key to keeping your cool, moving forward, and being happy is to learn to relax.
When someone does not relax, many events can happen. A person can become run-down, depressed, or anxious just by the act of never stopping. Having a schedule that is packed every minute of the day can cause higher levels of cortisol leading to the overbearing urge and action of consuming carbohydrates, leading to an unhealthy lifestyle that soon becomes deeper and deeper and then there is no turning back. I could see myself falling into the trap of going deeper and deeper as my schedule became more and more compacted.
Some people near and dear to me soon realized this about me that I was falling deeper into the dreaded person that could not relax. I tried hard to resist, insisting that I needed a full schedule in order to feel okay about falling asleep that night, knowing I did all the homework and activities I could before midnight. I soon started to forget exactly who I was, because I had no time to myself, to participate in the activities I once enjoyed. I forgot the person I was before I became a homework-Nazi with no other social life or activities that defined me. I fell into a slump and I became depressed and anxious thinking my life would be like this forever, compacted and no room to enjoy the life I have. I needed to learn how to relax.
I started to pick up the activities I once loved to do; go on walks, watch my favorite TV shows, going out to dinner and just taking a break from school, from homework and from organizations. I started to enjoy choir again, as it became a fun hour break from school life instead of a barrier to homework. I watch my TV shows and not worry about the test I have been studying for days for. I color in my coloring book, blocking all school related subjects in my head. I keep myself limited on my leadership positions and work schedule to give myself the much needed relaxation time I need. I got back into enjoying working out and relieving the tension for school I have. I became the person I once was again.
This is my biggest piece of advice, don’t let yourself fall into that hole. I did, and I will never go back. I try everyday to give myself an hour of me time, relaxation time, or also called no homework time. This hour allows me to function, to be happy, to be more productive on school work and to be myself again. I love the person I am, and I am here to stay.
