I’ve been busy.
But even that’s an understatement.
I have not had a night to myself or a free weekend in two and a half months. I am both mentally and physically exhausted, and it’s only Monday. So, for the first time in almost 3 months, I took the afternoon off. I canceled my plans to lay around, take a long nap, show myself some self-love, and give my body what it’s been craving for the last few weeks. As I was allowing myself to rest, I noticed my heart beating faster, due to what I can assume were anxious thoughts about what I was supposed to be doing. It’s hard to go from constantly swamped, to taking the afternoon off and doing virtually nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I like being busy. I chose to have all of these things in my life, but trying to balance three days of cheer, four days of work, extra curriculars, volunteering, and trying to maintain some sort of social life is exhausting. It is so important for people, busy people especially, to give themselves the opportunity to relax and give their bodies what’s needed to stay motivated and healthy. The most important practice I’ve found to help my health during the week is to be mindful. Life can become overwhelming so easily; it’s important to carve out time for your mind and body to rest and relax before you’re at your breaking point. I often hear my peers talking about the fifteen+ activities they’re involved in, work, college, classes, and trying to still have a little bit of a social life. Honestly, it blows my mind. I don’t know how some people can be that busy all the time and not become so overwhelmed they experience a mental breakdown weekly. Recently, due to my packed schedule, my dedication to self care has slipped a lot. I can confidently say it’s contributed to my current state of exhaustion. Taking a nice warm bath, doing a face mask, even watching a show or movie are things I have not had time to indulge in throughout the past few weeks. Carving out the time to do some self-care tonight has given me such a sense of well-being. It’s good to be busy, but remember: if you turn in a paper or project a day late, it’s not the end of the world. Giving yourself time to breathe is just as important as any essay. Slow down. Breathe. Provide yourself with what you need in order to stay happy and successful, look out for your friends and family, and most importantly, love yourself.
xoxo, Ruby <3
