When we get to this mid-point of the semester, many students unsurprisingly feel extremely overwhelmed by their workloads. In some cases, this is a symptom of taking on too many responsibilities, which can be remedied by simply cutting out some of your routine involvements. But this isn’t always possible.
This semester is a first for me in facing that reality. I’m taking four upper-level courses, working as an RA, working for Student Publications, competing on the debate team, and making post-graduation plans. Due to the nature of these commitments and my own personal circumstances, I can’t cut out any of them. But I still felt incredibly stressed out. So, what do I do? Am I supposed to just accept the consequences of my prior decisions by working tirelessly, keeping the stress at bay as much as possible?
What’s troubling is that this is what many students try to do. If you were to ask several random Harding students how they’re doing, at least one of them will almost certainly bring up how much work they have to do (and how little time they have for anything else) in a way that seems to suggest that there’s really no choice in the matter.
Based on a variety of influences, it’s easy to believe that if you don’t prioritize your classes, work and future goals at the expense of practically everything else, you are not spending your time wisely. But prioritizing in such a way that represses emotions and ignores one’s own internal condition inevitably leads to an incredibly self-destructive and dehumanizing lifestyle. Any psychologist will tell you this. I’m not making any radical suggestions here.
Therefore, my proposed solution that I’ve personally adopted this semester is to prioritize one’s own personal needs over the demands of classes, work or future goals. It’s worth noting that when I say “personal needs,” I don’t necessarily mean binge-watching Netflix for days without bathing or never going to class or chapel again. What I mean is that I take care of myself by listening to what’s going on internally and seeing what needs I ought to attend to.
Instead of slaving away over some particular task at my job so I can feel satisfied or get a good reference from my boss one day, I might spend quality time with friends over coffee at Midnight Oil. Instead of spending hours upon hours studying for a test in order to ensure an A in the class, I might spend my time reading books on subjects that are intellectually exciting or speak to me in ways that are profound and moving, even if it means I end up getting a C in the class. I need these things.
This doesn’t in any way imply that personal responsibilities ought to be discarded wholesale. Seeing the decision as one of either completely blowing off responsibilities or pursuing them at all costs represents a false dichotomy, one that many of us have bought into. If lightening your workload isn’t an option, then your responsibilities still have to be fulfilled. The flexibility lies in the extent to which the responsibilities are pursued.
No matter what you think you have to do in order to attain the goals you have in mind, it isn’t worth sacrificing your own well-being. You may have to make adjustments that are uncomfortable for you, but the tradeoff is unquestionably worth it.
When the next opportunity presents itself, I plan on significantly decreasing my workload to work more with where I am in life right now. But I won’t always have that opportunity, and it’s helpful for me to know what to do when those situations arise.
So I may be getting average grades in several of my classes, performing at an average level from time to time in my jobs, and this article itself may be appropriately labelled as “very average.” But I am learning more, growing more and feeling more at peace than I ever have before in my entire life. I don’t plan on ever giving that up.
