Balance

I would argue that balance is one of, if not the most important thing in life; yet, it can be quite hard to achieve. Balance can equate to so many different realms of life, whether that be balancing a social life, work, alcohol consumption, or having a balanced diet. Our bodies and minds require balance in order to function and flourish. I have found that especially as a college student, it is extremely difficult for me to find balance. During my months in school, I am constantly on the go. Basic needs fall to the bottom of my priority list. Despite having a busy schedule, I still try to reserve time in the day to move my body but even this can be hard to find time to do. This means that out of the 24 hrs in the day only about an hour is reserved for me. Otherwise I am studying, trying to maintain a social life, or sleeping. I know that this is unhealthy but it has become my norm.

At the end of the year I found myself truly lost, completely out of touch with myself, and honestly pretty unhappy. I mean how the fuck is one supposed to be happy running on little sleep and never taking time for oneself. My runs, walks, and yoga were the only times I felt in my body, otherwise I was completely disconnected, running in turbo mode,  purely on adrenaline. Looking back on the year, I deeply wish that I had gone out less, taken care of myself more, and remembered that school is not going to determine the outcome of my life. From an outside perspective it seems so simple to take care of yourself but when you're in the moment with all your friends getting ready and encouraging you to go out it becomes hard to remember to take care of your own needs and body. At the end of the day I am a young college student and this is the one time in my life that I can get away with making bad decisions. These are the years that I will tell your kids crazy stories about.

So how can I balance the two? Allow myself to be a 20 year old college student and occasionally make bad decisions while remaining in touch with my body's emotions and physical state?

I think the answer is pretty simple. Listen to your body and heart.  This is much easier said than done. Remembering that there will always be another weekend to go out and that if you aren’t feeling it that is a sign from your body telling you that you need rest and should probably stay in. Also remembering to not feel guilty for going out is. What I would argue is most important of all, as well as the most challenging for me, is to worry about yourself and only yourself. Your friend's decisions to go out or stay in are their decisions to make. Although it can be hard, it is important to try our best to make decisions solely on what pleases our heart rather than being persuaded by the actions of others. Your friends' decisions have nothing to do with you. Do not judge others for constantly going out or staying in. We are all chemically, mentally, emotionally, and physically different humans that flourish in different environments. Some people find pure joy from being out and about with their friends every night. For others, alone time is essential to recharge and be the best versions of themselves. Regardless of what is best for other people, we must accept the decisions they make and trust that everyone has their best interest in mind while making those decisions. It is not up to you or me to decide what is best for them.

If I could give my past, present and future self one piece of advice, I would tell myself that my life is my journey, not my moms, not my brothers, not my friends and not my neighbors, but mine and no one else’s. I have complete control over the life I'm living just as others have full control over their lives. It is my responsibility to take care of myself and my personal path and is not my responsibility to take care of anyone else. Although you may have the opportunity to make an impact on others' journeys throughout life, everyone is allowed to choose their own path and you do not get control over that. At the end of the day, we are all just doing our best to live our best lives on this floating rock in space, we call earth. There is no right or wrong way to live life so we must accept that everyone has their method of doing so.