As the reality of our recent time off for Thanksgiving comes to a close, the reality of resuming school sinks in. All the classwork waiting for me on my desk and the upcoming group projects that I’ve been avoiding start to blur into picture. The stress builds higher than before break because only two weeks remain until finals. Two weeks suffocating under a constant uphill of academic anxiety.

Working in the school writing center, my own stress is not the only emotion afflicting me. As I consult with my fellow students about the papers weighing on their mind, their strains certainly puff up my already clouded mind. Vicariously stressing for my peers is part of the job. Sometimes in consultations we end up acting more as a place for emotional support rather than a writing service, especially toward the end of the semester. Our center continues to busy and as it does, the room begins to reflect all the tension ready to burst.

The constant pressure we are emerged in is set in full force. As we struggle to relearn a whole semester and scramble to somehow find more hours in a day, we tend to forget about ourselves. Any semblance of a healthy routine we had prior to mid-November has vanished. Eating? Sleeping? Friends? Family? Cleaning? Fake it or forget about. Life is a mess. Neglecting ourselves has become the dominating norm. The omnipresent problem of college defines our life–so much to do, so little time to do it.

Balance is nowhere in sight; we’re working machines or too overwhelmed for anything. Blank screens become a threatening nightmare as I try so hard to complete an assignment. I just know I have to get it done but I have no idea what to write. I know I have to study for this test. I know I have to research. I know I have to but I can’t stop thinking of all I have to do in order to actually do it. So I just wait until I crack and crumble under the pressure, forcing myself just to do everything all at once.

Sometimes I just have to shake myself into a reminder that I can’t do everything. It’s impossible. There’s just too much so I have to be realistic. I have to figure out how to prioritize. I try to recall what my dad used to say about taking everything one at a time. What’s due first? Last? What’s the easiest? Hardest? What is the plan to keep anxiety from taking over?

I’m definitely not the prime example for balancing all these stresses in college life, but I refuse to sacrifice sleep. I always value resting my mind in order to be fully ready for the next day. Sometimes having that standard for yourself is what helps you to get through to finals. Create some piece of a consistent mental health relief to implement into your life. Whether that be having 30 minutes a day for a hobby or making sure to start the day with protein, make the time. Otherwise, time will not wait for you.