Every day for the last three weeks before the biggest test of my life, my dad would barge into my room at 6 AM. I would respond with a grunt and a motion for him to turn my lights on, forcing me awake. Some days he would chuckle; some days, he would shake his head in awe. “You asked me to do this, you know,” he would always say.
He was right—I did.
I couldn’t get out of bed at this point without someone keeping me accountable. I’d been studying for nearly a year straight. This, on top of refusing to give myself weekends in order to squeeze more productivity out of my week, was not a recipe for a healthy brain that wanted to wake up before noon.
If I had just stopped and revaluated how I was doing, perhaps I could have prevented the burnout from getting as bad as it had. Maybe, I would have even been more productive in the long run.
I tend to start out each semester intent on these healthy habits. But as deadlines loom and the dread sets in, I snowball and sacrifice my wellbeing for success.
Not this time.
I’m using this post as a reminder to STOP occasionally.
My mental health is just as important as my grades-- even in the middle of exam season.
I need to prioritize my work-life balance.
If you relate to my story at all, perhaps you can try the same.
About the Author
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Megan
Hey everyone! I'm going into my fourth year of psychology with the Faculty of Science. I joined hu because I want to make a positive impact on the university community by talking about mental health-- a topic I truly love.
I'm a people-loving introvert that spends her free time immersed in stories, whether it be video games, books, TV, or music. I also love to swim!