Julia’s POV: Balancing School and Mental Health

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a seemingly exceptional and talented individual? The one you’d consider to be a “try hard”, or maybe the “teacher’s pet” that received neverending compliments and appraisal for their high quality work? Simply speaking, I was that person from when I started my first day of kindergarten until now. Perfectionism coursed through my veins. 

Growing up, I struggled with the concepts of balance and harmony, and never knew how to apply that to my academic career, despite me being a Libra ironically (*If you’re not into astrology, Libras are the star sign of balance and enforcers of quality and peace within their lives). I experienced burnout at unusual moments in my life, where I prioritized the completion of assignments, studying of “important” assessments, and attending of academic involvements rather than giving time for myself and my well-being. High school consisted of unbroken patterns of abnormally long study sessions in my home, which emotionally and physically drained me to the point that sleep was my only way of escape from the torture of my big, fat workload. In the past, my mind was flooded and my heart was heavy. 

College came around, and admittedly, I was scared. I was scared of the idea of imbalance: would I be capable of juggling my pre-med responsibilities with my desire of maintaining a flourishing social life? What do I need to change in order for me to attain this balance? Over time, I learned valuable lessons that have driven me to pursue a higher quality life of achieving my goals and lifelong dreams. 

Here is a short list of realizations that I’ve experienced in ascertaining the value of balancing school with mental health:

1. Personalize a plan for success.

Schedules are everything to me. I rely on them to plan and map out my mind in a perfectly placed and color-coordinated format. Having a healthy mindset derives from a schedule that fits right for you. It’s all dependent on how you function and what you prefer; that is, whether or not you thrive in the morning or at night, or if you feel better working in particular settings/environments. I’m naturally a morning person, so for me, it’s easy to wake with the sun and crush all of my tasks in one sitting rather than at night. My Google Calendar consists of tabs including not only my school schedule, but sections specifically for my health (gym time) and events that pertain to my social bubble. Being able to visualize these events helped guide me in seeing which areas of my life need improvement or those that require more of my attention and time!

2. It’s okay to “say no.” 

Although over said at times, this saying is definitely applicable to everything relating to setting healthy boundaries with yourself and with others. Being a people pleaser, I would allot time to people and events that would consume a lot of my energy, whether that be club general body meetings or small get-togethers throughout the week. This would result in me creating an unhealthy sleep schedule, where I’d wake up early to go to the gym and sleep extremely late after doing hours of homework and studying. Most significantly, I’ve learned to put my foot down and allow myself to sleep in, and not commit to so many things at once. “Saying no” helped me to embrace self-care in a way I thought would never impact me as much as it did and does.

3. Failure builds resilience.

Sometimes, I’ve felt that being a perfectionist can take too much of a toll on my mental health. I grew doubtful of my abilities, especially in anything not matching my incredibly high standards. But over time, I realized that practice doesn’t make perfect, but that practice makes progress. We truly do learn from our mistakes, but only if we choose to accept them. The trials that we encounter throughout our lives are what shapes us, and how we think about situations. We become stronger from the lessons we learn on our own. 

Mental health is intertwined in our ability to become better, until we reach the best versions of ourselves. An analogy I can allude to would be a car and gasoline: self-care is the fuel we need in order to efficiently progress and move forward. Without it, how can we accomplish our goals? Taking care of yourself is indubitably the most significant part in achieving this balance. Now, look in the mirror and give yourself a hug. You deserve it 🙂 

Xo, 

Julia