Aunt Izzie: Balancing it all
Dear Aunt Izzie,
I feel like every week gets harder. Trying to balance school, sleep and a social life all at once feels impossible, how do people do it?
Sincerely,
Totally Overwhelmed
Dear Totally Overwhelmed,
Honestly? People don’t. At least I don’t. Most of us in the college set prefer to go, go, go until our bodies force us to slow down with sickness. Then we take a break until we are healthy enough to resume go, go, going.
But that doesn’t mean I endorse this vicious cycle. Even though I am too weak to stop myself from watching episode after episode of Scandal, when I know I should be working, the same thing does not have to happen to you. Fear not, Totally Overwhelmed!
Sometimes, it’s a little easy to let yourself get overwhelmed.
First and foremost I am going to need you to get enough sleep. Your body cannot properly function without sleep and being tired with affect every part of your life. Think back to the last time you were fully rested, probably sometime in elementary school. You had so much energy back then! Reclaim that energy now by sleeping eight hours a night.
The second thing you need to do is actively prioritize. Homework for English due on Friday might be more fun than studying for a chemistry exam on Tuesday but which comes first? Say it with me now: studying for the chemistry exam. And television and alcohol are at the bottom of your priorities list. THE BOTTOM.
My last tip, and this one is important, is to give yourself a break. School is hard and being a 20something is hard (in a catty, not actually that hard way) so it’s okay to fail sometimes and it’s okay to take time for yourself. Netflix is still not a real priority, but your mental health is. Maybe try to change your name to Sort of Overwhelmed.
Best of Luck!
Aunt Izzie
Aunt IzzieIzzie Gibson Penrose, class of 2016, has 19 years of advice to give. She loves telling people what to do (but doesn’t take offense if they don’t listen) and lives as strange a life as possible so she has plenty of anecdotes to share. Izzie also enjoys making jokes and baking cupcakes. Email her with questions, concerns, or anything LITERALLY ANYTHING that’s on your mind at gibsis01@gettysburg.edu. She promises to read every email she receives at least once, probably six times.
