It is Monday. My head lying parallel to the floor on a CoHo table on top of a book I have yet to read for an English class. I have 4 documents open on my computer along with 2 spreadsheets and 3 email accounts. My brain feels like it’s about to ooze out of my eyeballs, which have skimmed over far too many words in the hours since I rolled out of bed this morning. I have a headache and 2 essays due this week, along with a project, and before I know it I’m trying to convince my parents that I don’t want to transfer to another school, my GPA is just a reflection of my continued struggles through science GE classes so far this year.
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We all have days and sometimes even weeks like this. Week 5 marks the halfway point of the quarter, but brings the beginning of midterm season (which, let’s be real, pretty much continues all the way until finals week) and thus the onset of the final stressed-out struggle we face before spring quarter ends and we are released into summer’s beautiful freedom.
Mental health commonly takes an undeserved place on the back-burner in our minds when the stress of academics and social life seems to drown out every other thought. But that doesn’t mean that it should stay that way.
My mom always told me that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While it may be a bit difficult to avoid a multi-essay week complete with a mental breakdown, it is important to invest personal time and effort in mental health for a better life.
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So treat yourself. You deserve it. Take as little as 10 minutes out of your day to read, journal, meditate, take a walk/jog, listen to your favorite playlist, or whatever makes your mind feel at peace. Then, when finals come or another difficult week hits, you will know exactly how to take care of your mind and body to avoid burning yourself out from working too hard.
Happy Mental Health Awareness Month Aggies! Keep working hard and remember to always think about the good things and people in your lives: it’ll make your day so much better :)