As a society, we strive to be busy people. We work constantly, get involved with volunteer work, sign up for extracurricular activities and devote our time to doing something. There is almost never a dull moment until you go to sleep. Then, you wake up the next day and start all over again, making sure every moment is filled with something entertaining and stimulating. Staying busy definitely has its perks. All the memories you make and skills you acquire being a part of so many things are great. But, there is something to be said about having a moment to relax and breathe, giving yourself time to process everything and reflect on all that has been going on. Even though our society worships busyness, I believe that we need to take into account some time for rest.

For me, I am constantly busy. I work around 30 hours a week, a full-time student, and an officer in my sorority. I am almost always doing something, rarely with any days off from school or work. I have a lot going on, even in the summer. My situation isn’t much different than that of other college students either. I know people who work full-time, go to school and take care of their own children. The problem with our busy lives is that we don’t give ourselves time to think and reflect on everything that has happened. Things get processed so quickly because we have to move on to the next thing and we don’t ever stop to really think about all that we have been exposed to. We lose track of things so rapidly and tend to forget about most situations, even when they altered the way our day progressed. If we aren’t able to reflect on the day’s events, we may not catch the situations that would help us grow in our skill set. Progress is important, why else would we be involved in so many things if we weren’t trying to improve something about ourselves? Reflection is essential when it comes to learning.

Another reason we need to pause on occasion is because we exhaust ourselves to the fullest extent when we remain constantly busy. You get worn out physically, mentally and emotionally after a while. Without a break in between, you can hurt yourself in these three areas. Sometimes, if we are super busy, we don’t realize how tired we really are. We aren’t able to recognize when we have over worked ourselves or stretched ourselves out too thin. We need to be able to take some time for ourselves and check to make sure we are still doing alright. Journaling is a good way to keep track of this. You have documented entries and deep self-reflection in the journal that can help you better understand yourself. Taking the few minutes for yourself can really be beneficial when it comes to checking up on yourself.

I understand that some people just like to be busy all the time and like the fast-paced lifestyle. I am not dissing that personality trait at all, I completely understand your need to be going all the time. I just urge that you try to make time for yourself every once and a while, even if it’s only 30 minutes before you go to bed. That time that you have to yourself will help you stay attentive and reflect on all that you have been exposed to during the day. Although it may take some practice, taking a few minutes to breath and relax without chaos will help you grow in yourself and continue to progress as a person in society.