AND RELAX...

Hey everyone!

In the pressures and stresses of everyday life, whether that be at school, university, or work, it is easy to forget a little bit of self-love and care. After completing a demanding three years of university and getting sucked into a cycle of never-ending to-do lists and obligations, I neglected my mental and physical health, and as such ended up having waves of panic attacks and general unhappiness with how I was handling everything.  

Although taking on many commitments can be rewarding as well as satisfying, having too much to do with not enough time, can be detrimental to one’s health and left me feeling exhausted. I was volunteering in multiple places, balancing three part-time jobs, writing an essay a week, revising and it became far too much to handle. Because of this, I developed some coping techniques that really helped me focus on myself and enjoy all of my commitments. 

These included writing a list of things I had to look forward to. Whether it was a day trip out, a holiday or just my next day off work, having this list helped me focus on getting deadlines completed and made me a lot less stressed when I knew I had something to look forward to. What also tended to help me was doing a completely different activity. Baking gave me a lovely relaxing break from my very mundane routine of working. Although I’m not very good at it, weekly baking eased my anxious mind and helped me regain my sanity a bit! But what ultimately helped me was realising that I had too much on my plate. It took me a while to get my head around the fact that if I didn’t like what I was doing, I was well within my right to change that. I was under no obligation to stick to my busy routine and as such, I changed my outlook completely. I left one of my jobs, lessened the hours of my volunteering, and changed my whole work ethic with regards to uni work. 

For anyone going to university in the coming weeks, remember your limits and don’t push yourself too hard. Most people say that your uni years are the best years of your life, so make it that! Remember if it all gets too much, there are always people to talk to and find support in. 

Have the best time!

B x