Most people can relate to the issue of trying to do too many things at one time. I have spent as long as I can remember trying to handle everything that was thrown at me and try not to let people down. It is nice to understand what is in front of you and trying to balance everything. Sometimes, it is overwhelming to try to deal with everything life throws at you. It would not be a terrible idea to slow down and try to spread out the things you need to figure out.

I have been freaking out about my future a lot lately. How am I supposed to get all of my requirements completed for school? How am I supposed to decide fully what I want to do for the rest of my life? And lastly, how in the hell do I pay for everything?! I am horrified. I have already tried planning out my classes up until my senior year and I am only a sophomore. There are a lot of responsibilities I will be forced to face, even within the next few years. However, I need to realize that I have a while to deal with all of these things. I do not have to handle it now… I have time.

Sometimes it takes a random person to tell you something obvious but it hits you like a brick. A resident at the assisted living home I work at was asking me about school and life. I told her about all of the things I was doing and what not. Lastly, I told her it was making me tired and that I was afraid I’d be tired from the exhaustion for the rest of my life. She smiled at me and said, “You are trying to do everything. Don’t do that to yourself; slow down.”

I am not sure why, but that really meant a lot for me to hear. I owe myself that much, to calm down and spread out the things that are causing me stress. I do not have to understand everything about my life today or have it all under control. I should deal with a chunk of it today, but more can wait until tomorrow and the day after. There is no reason for me to worry about my senior year classes quite yet. In 2017, I plan to slow down. Not only will it be good for me, but it may just be what I need to restore some happiness I have been missing.