Something I have been struggling with this semester is deciding how much time I am going to devote to schoolwork and how much time I want to save for myself. I know some people have a rather strict no-work-on-weekends policy, but I have never really found myself in such a position to work this way. With multiple extracurricular commitments and a heavy course load, I am some days simply unable to fit in work other than attending classes. I’m beginning to wonder if maybe there is an anti-no-work-on-weekends approach.
After days when my classes are particularly long and most of my day is blocked off, working can sometimes be detrimental to my mental and physical health. I sometimes wonder why I am electing to overwork myself when I’ve already had a mentally and physically draining day. So, instead of banning work on weekends, I have tried to limit the amount of work I do on my busiest days to solely necessary studying or assignments.
A good work-life balance is something I always preach. But if I’m being completely transparent, maintaining that balance is not something I am very good at. I often find myself justifying doing work instead of doing something to relax by saying, “Oh well, knowing that I’m getting more work done is relaxing.” This is me fully admitting to probably my biggest flaw — I am often very bad at following my own good advice.
Setting personal limits and boundaries is something we may not always remember to do, but it is extremely important to our physical and mental well-being. The most important being getting adequate and good quality sleep. I always notice that the amount of sleep I get directly impacts how my day is — whether I’m productive and energetic or unmotivated and falling asleep in classes (yikes!). When it is physically impossible to get the golden eight hours at night (I always seem to have late activities the nights before my 8 a.m. ‘s), naps are definitely the way to go.
Taking naps can be very difficult depending on how much time you have, how long it takes you to fall asleep, when you usually eat meals, what your roommates are up to, and probably many more factors. I am still trying to figure out what the “perfect nap” entails, but for now, I try to stick to an hour long timer on my phone with the lights being turned on (to make for an easier wake-up). There’s a lot of research available online regarding different durations of naps and when to take them to find what works best for you.
Second to naps, eating nutritious and well-rounded meals and snacks also leads to maximum productivity. My days thoroughly depend on what I’m eating and when I’m eating it. I feel more energized on days when I get a nice fill of protein for breakfast and follow it up with a timely and balanced lunch. On days when I’m extra busy, I always try to work harder to eat as healthy as I possibly can, so I won’t get as strained from the arduous day.
All in all, learning to take care of your mental and physical health by setting work boundaries is probably one of the most important lessons one can learn while at school.
Lifestyle HACKs is an Opinion column written and created by Zoe Hack ‘24 to discuss studying guides and techniques, healthy cooking and eating, and other lifestyle tips during college life.
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