We all have our own crazy lives. For many people like me, we recycle the never ending list of tasks starting from waking up, going to school, running to sports practice, going back home to eat dinner, doing homework, and then going to bed with no time to breathe in between. On top of that, there are so many other thoughts that are constantly racing in the back of our minds like making sure we are keeping up all of our schoolwork or getting enough sleep, and this barely gives us any time to ask ourselves if we are mentally and emotionally stable. Every day can feel like more and more work that we need to juggle to get done, and life can almost feel like we are just trying to stay afloat when tackling it all. Why is that? Is there a reason why so many people are so overwhelmed? Maybe it is because we need balance.
So many people are stressed and don’t realize that they need to balance their lives. A New York University study examined top high school students’ stress and coping mechanisms. They noticed that “Nearly half (49%) of all students reported feeling a great deal of stress on a daily basis.” This amount of stress is not healthy, and negatively affects our bodies. Even the American Psychological Association found that “Nearly 1 in 5 teens (18 percent) say that when they do not get enough sleep, they are more stressed.” By lacking self care, we are harming ourselves and depriving our bodies from our basic needs. This is why noticing our stress and coping with it is necessary for a healthier life.
If we know that balancing is important, then how do we include it in our everyday lives? In reality, there isn’t just one way to do it. For me, staying organized by making lists and prioritizing the items on the list allows me to keep track of what I need to do, and it also helps clear my mind. Balancing life also requires us to take more time for ourselves to make sure that we and our bodies can have a break. Self care is one of my favorite ways to destress whether it is making a journal to clear my thoughts, listening to music, or even just having a conversation with a friend. Even taking just ten minutes to take a break allows our brains to recharge and feel more motivated to keep working.
Entrepreneur Amy Rees Anderson describes in Forbes (a business magazine) about how balancing makes our lives a lot healthier and more successful. Anderson claims that when there is balance in your life, “you gain a perspective that can help you to make better decisions, you gain a sense of calm, and you have the ability to see the big picture again.” However, balancing our lives is a lot harder than it seems. Anderson notices that “we get so engrossed in our work that we completely forget that having balance in life is a key ingredient in achieving success.” Since life can get so crazy, it is vital to remember to check in with ourselves. Anyone from students like me to entrepreneurs like Anderson face stress in our daily lives. That is why we need to learn how to deal with it.
So, in the midst of our non-stop lives, let’s take a deep breath. Let’s set reasonable goals for ourselves, and take a moment every day to ask ourselves how we are doing. Most importantly, let’s all live a happier and healthier life and start balancing.
Anderson, Amy Rees. “The Importance Of Having Balance In Our Lives.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 31 May 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2016/05/31/the-importance-of-having-balance-in-our-lives/?sh=57563c112a93.
Communications, NYU Web. “NYU Study Examines Top High School Students’ Stress and Coping Mechanisms.” NYU, 11 Aug. 2015, www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/august/nyu-study-examines-top-high-school-students-stress-and-coping-mechanisms.html.
“American Psychological Association Survey Shows Teen Stress Rivals That of Adults.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.
