Throughout my time in school, I have heard a phrase along the lines of: "Get it done now so you don't have to do it later."
While that statement does hold some appeal to it, it's not always achievable. In some way or another, everyone lives under this flawed expectation to work hard and earn rest, but it isn't healthy. I spent many years as a kid blindly obeying this philosophy in fear of falling behind, but ultimately, it cost me more progress than it gave me.
I've always enjoyed a challenge, so I took whatever high-level course I could for freshman year. I approached my homework the same way I always had: Getting it done quickly and letting it leave my mind completely until the next day. That strategy got me by in middle school, but it did not prepare me for the intense workload that high school brought me.
I felt the exhaustion taking over. Every night I was completely depleted and would remain in my room for hours to power through my work – nothing that coffee couldn't fix, right? As I tried to tackle everything to "get it done now" over the months, my anxiety increasingly ramped up, and some days it felt like the world was falling apart.
By the middle of sophomore year, I gave laying down and doing nothing after school a shot; whether it was intentional or due to pure burnout, I don't remember. I soon realized how much I needed that. Over time, I learned to plan how to distribute my work into manageable pieces. I finally had energy to go out and hold conversation and just exist without fear of what could happen if I dared not do four hours of homework in one sitting. I used to feel so stuck in my routine, but now I'm actually growing from it.
I learned that immediately laying on the couch with a bag of chips and “Stranger Things” queued up after school is OK. Going out with friends before studying is OK. Regardless of whether or not you're a student, there isn't shame in taking a break – no matter how much the work is practically calling to you from the desk. I hope for a normalization of being lazy sometimes – or as I call it, "couch potato-ization" – for exhausted American youth.
I believe in taking breaks, but more importantly, I believe in spending time intentionally whether it is generally considered productive or not, which includes time for nothing at all.
In my opinion, the best work is done with the best-prepared mind, and rest is absolutely essential to having that. I've learned as I approach adulthood that the truly adult thing to do is not tackle a task all at once but instead approach it with a game plan. So, I'm glad I've binged “The Office” and “Friends” to the point where I can quote them. It's made me a better student.
