It all started on a Monday morning. In hindsight, this was probably quite predictable — Mondays never go well. Exams were over, my suitcases were packed and I was about to catch a flight back to England to see my family, friends and dogs again after four months apart. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time, bags in hand and overly cheerful for 9 a.m. on a Monday, only to see the word “cancelled” accompanying my flight number.
There must be a mistake, I thought, it’ll be “un-cancelled” soon. But Atlanta wasn’t letting any more flights in due to their power outage, and after an hour of negotiation with the lovely staff at the Charlottesville airport, I managed to get myself booked onto the earliest available flight — three days away.
As I sat in my Uber, heading back to the accommodation I thought I’d said goodbye to for a month, I realised that I had absolutely nothing to do for the next 72 hours. Now that the term had ended, the intense workload that had kept me going non-stop for four months was gone along with the majority of my friends. In the sudden emptiness I felt, I realized that I had forgotten how to have time for myself.
The first thing I did was nap — although it was probably closer to a coma than a nap. When I finally woke up again, I contemplated the last four months. My sleeping pattern was out of sorts — staying up late to finish essays doesn’t exactly give you the recommended eight hours of sleep. I didn’t have any food — working on said essays often meant I forgot to eat or only ate pasta when I eventually remembered to eat.
I couldn’t count the number of work-related meltdowns I’d had in the last few months. The last exercise I’d had involved lugging my suitcases up three flights of stairs, which made me more out of breath than I’d care to admit. Who knows when I’d last had a drink that didn’t have some form of caffeine. My health, mind and body were all in a sorry state, and I hadn’t even noticed the deterioration happening.
Any of this sound familiar? Often at the University we have to choose between a social life, good grades, family, sleep, exercise, a job or internships. In the mayhem of juggling everything, a lot of these things fall by the wayside — especially focusing on yourself. It isn’t until you take a step back — or suddenly find your life on hold for three days — that you realize just how unhealthy this is.
At the start of January, I’m contemplating New Year’s resolutions. Of course, mine are usually unrealistic, like “I’m going to exercise every day” or “I’m going to give up chocolate” (obviously never going to happen), and I always end up breaking them. But for the sake of my mental health, this year I have one simple resolution — to stay happy and healthy.
At the University, we put ourselves under so much pressure that we forget the importance of looking after ourselves during times of stress. Work is important, but so are you — and so is enjoying the University experience while it’s here. As your workload grows heavier in the following few months and you feel your stress levels building, ensure that you make time for yourself. Have an evening off to relax, take part in a sport you enjoy and remember to eat three times a day.
Whatever your New Year’s resolution is, make sure to put your wellbeing first next semester.
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