Finding balance in life is difficult. We live in a culture and a society that feeds on stress and productivity, but is that what really matters?
This week is Spring Break for me, but sadly, it is not much of a break. One of my professors even joked that Spring Break for undergraduate students is a time to go to Cabo, but for master’s students it is a time to get work done and catch up. Is that how it must be? What are we prioritizing?
I see my friends struggling and stressing over massive papers and spending hours worried about the next thing they need to be working on; I feel stress in my body and in the bodies of my peers. While this is not a universal truth, and some people are better at finding ways to take time off and step away from the mounds of reading and work in front of them, they had to learn that skill outside of the classroom. My question is, what does this teach us about how to live a healthy and balanced life? How does this translate into life beyond the classroom? Why do we continue with a narrative that gives stress, and not the healthy kind, power? We are taught how-to live-in stress, rather than how to handle it. We are taught that a hyperactive state is normal, rather than abnormal. We are taught that in order to be successful and valued we must sacrifice our own well-being. When we complete our programs and step out into the working world, this habit of stress and over-productivity carries us forward. We do not know how to slow down, take a minute, and just be. We push ourselves until we burn out or break down, confused as to how we got there.
I recognize that I signed up to get my masters, and I know that, that means work and being a student is not always easy. I recognize that there are some sacrifices that must be made. My question, however, points to a bigger phenomenon of our culture (and not just to masters students, but to classrooms of all ages and subjects): what is school teaching us about rest, play, and living a healthy life? How are we taught to handle stress and find balance?
Today, listen to your body. Take time to rest and play. Unlearning the habits of over-productivity and stress isn’t easy, but we can start small. Know that your worth comes from more than what you produce, create, or accomplish. You are enough, just are you are.
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