At the beginning of last semester, I was a wreck. I took up too many things, was overly stressed and I felt like I had no free time for my friends or myself. Towards the end of the semester, I was even worse. Finals stacked their weight on my shoulders, and I felt like I was trapped in a constant loop of work and nothing else.

At the beginning of 2018, I reached my breaking point. I felt like nothing was going right for me, and I could no longer handle the stress. I mentally could no longer keep going. I would shut myself off from my friends and the people that cared about me, deleting all my social media apps and never replying to people.

I had a huge breakdown, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

During that mental break, I realized that doing all the things that I was doing was not worth the mental strain.

After what happened, I decided to begin to put myself first. All last semester, and the beginning of this semester, I focused on other people’s needs and happiness, and never my own. I was hiding behind the lie that if I made other people happy, maybe I would be happy too.

I decided to focus on myself, and it’s been great. I dropped half of the things that were on my plate, and I finally feel like I can breathe again. I finally feel that I have time for myself, time to sit down and read or write if I really wanted to.

I know it may sound like a small thing, but I’m making sure I take a shower and wash my face everyday, a step that I never had time for last semester.

I’ve been pushing myself to go to the gym more and more frequently, in order to feel physically and mentally better.

I have begun to spend more time on my dancing, something that has been a part of my life since I can remember, and one of my few passions. It truly makes me happy, and I’m glad I can put more time towards it.

My experience with mental health has never been a great one. I have always felt like I needed to put others over myself. I am glad to say now that I can finally focus on myself, and become a happier person because of it.

If you’re struggling with things like stress, I suggest that you take a step back from your busy life and take a look at the person in the mirror. That person’s mental health is not worth sacrificing for some club or some frat or sorority. You deserve to be happy. Please take time to rest, and relax. It’ll be worth it in the long run.