Alana George, Campus Carrier copy editor
Students are some of the busiest people in the world, especially here at Berry. Not only are we balancing at least four classes, but most of us work on-campus jobs, have a lot of homework, participate in clubs and maintain social lives, all the while wedging in eating and sleeping when we can. If that looks like a run-on sentence to you, that’s the exact representation of what a student’s life feels like almost every second of every day.
If anyone is privy to this reality, it’s me. This semester I am taking 18 course hours, working two on-campus jobs (that I love) and balancing all of it, for now. Some days I barely have time to breathe before moving between classes or going to work. Most of the time I can push through, usually when there’s coffee involved, but other times the constant break-neck pace gets to me. I’ve definitely stress-cried more this semester than I would care to admit, and I couldn’t tell you how many phone calls I’ve made to my mom.
Many students, including myself, are seemingly auditioning to be tightrope walkers, but sometimes, we do lose our balance and stumble from the rope a little bit. Unfortunately, sometimes really tragic or devastating things happen, and we can completely fall off the rope onto our backs. We often forget that it’s important for us to step-off the rope every now and then. This step-down does not need to last for a very long time, as most of us have very important things to do but getting off the rope for just a few minutes every day could really improve your mental and physical well-being.
Stepping off the rope can look like many different things. Here are a few examples from my own life. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I do not have a class until 10 a.m. So, I decided to forego a little sleep and hit the gym. I hate waking up for it at first (night owl problems), but after I finish and take a nice hot shower, I feel completely awake and ready to start my day off on a productive foot. Lately, as fall has finally arrived, I’ve loved relaxing and drinking a hot cup of tea. I also really love naps, but they can be dangerous if you sleep through your alarm and are late for work. Trust me; I speak from experience.
Whatever your escape is, I encourage you to find the ones that heal your body and your soul and incorporate them into your routine. I know this task seems as hard as herding cats, but if I can do it taking 18 hours and working two jobs, you can do it too. When you do, you will find yourself a happier, healthier and more productive person all around, and you will be more capable of handling the times when you stumble or fall off the rope. Of course, in the end the most important thing is to get back up on the rope, but an occasional step-down will help you stay more balanced in the future, and you will be the star of the circus.