Going back to this school year, the world has changed. School has changed. Situations in my life have changed. But mostly, I have changed.
Going back to school this year brings a whole new world of stress and anxiety that I haven’t experienced in a long time. Last year I was virtual for the whole year, which made the school year look very different.
My classes were all online so when the teacher dismissed us, we could just log off and do whatever we needed before the next class. If I ended classes early, I had extra time to do whatever I wanted.
Now we are fully back in person and my schedule is crazy again. That’s really stressful most of the time. I go to school at 7:30 am, finish school at 4:00, go to work, go to CrossFit, come home around 6, shower, eat, homework, repeat. That’s a LONG day for me and it’s a lot of stuff and not a lot of hours in the day for everything that needs to get done. So, when it comes to stress, I definitely have a lot in my life.
But learning to prioritize and organize my schedule is an important life skill I will always need. Something I’ve learned recently is that I have to try to make time for things I enjoy. For me, that’s working out at my CrossFit gym. I stopped going to the gym for a while, and there were many reasons why, the biggest being that I just didn’t have time.
Recently, I have focused on really looking at my schedule and organizing it so that I can make time to work out and still get everything done. Yes, my day might be extremely busy, but for ME it is manageable. It can be stressful and hectic, but I find that when I do not work out and move my body, everything in my life feels heavier and harder. I have been doing CrossFit for 8 years and my schedule my whole life has been go right from school to the gym. This year that got harder, but I am still making it happen.
I find that I am a lot happier when I go and work out. My mind is better, my body feels better, everything just feels better. Once I really realized the extreme difference when I stopped going to the gym, I realized that I HAD to make going to the gym a priority. If there are days when I really don’t have time, I will skip it. But going once a week is just not enough for me so I make sure to prioritize it.
This applies to everyone. If there is something that makes you happy, yet you feel like you don’t have time for it, re-evaluate your schedule and try your very best to make time. If you really can’t make it happen during the week, make sure to do it on the weekend. But I encourage you to not quit. Do not let yourself get stuck in a stressful, sad, repetitive life where you feel like you are just waking up and doing the same boring thing every single day.
We can’t control school because we all must do it, but find time to do something that brings you joy. I promise making time for that will bring joy to your day and make it better. A healthy mind is so important, and I’ve realized that recently more than ever. Feeling sad and lonely every single day sucks. It sucks a lot. No matter how big or small this activity that brings you joy is, make sure to do it.
Look out for yourself as much as you look out for others because you are worthy of the same love and joy you bring to others.
Do yourself a favor and try your very best to prioritize your joy and something that will bring you joy daily!
With love,
Danielle