There's a big difference between keeping yourself busy and overworking yourself. Unfortunately, I think my brain only knows the latter of those two.
Since I was able to have a job, I made sure I was working as much as I possibly could. 15-year-old me was working 25 hours a week at a coffee shop, just saving up as much money as possible. And while that saved money is super great right now, part of me wishes that I spent more time being a kid and less time doing money orders.
Even as I enter adulthood, I find myself still stretching myself as thin as possible. I take heavy classwork, get involved with my organizations, and find myself wanting to just add more and more to my plate all the time.
There are obviously pros and cons to this. The main con is that I haven't slept in for months because of how full I keep my schedule. But there are plenty of pros, and in my opinion, they usually outweigh the cons.
It's nice being 20-years-old and knowing that I have more experience than some 30-year-olds. It's nice knowing that I have made myself into a hardworking, independent person. It's nice earning and saving my OWN money, and rarely asking for money from my parents. It's nice knowing that I have worked hard to get to the point I am at and that things really do pay off if you work hard.
Of course, there are days where all I want to do is sleep in or watch TV for hours, but realistically that can't be done. When I am not working, I try to spend time with friends and family, because not only am I busy with work, but I am an incredibly social person. But hey, I didn't work as a barista for three years for nothing!
I am starting to try and give myself some "me" time because I realize that is important to my mental health. It's a long process, but hopefully will be well worth it. If jamming your life with tons of responsibilities is what you tend to do too, you aren't alone. And, if you have time in your busy life, sit down and talk to someone who has their busy life put together! It's inspiring and can help you become a better, more rested version of yourself.
