Being a Senior in high school can be one of the best times in a young person’s life, but it can also be one of the most stressful times. As a second semester senior, I’m close to the end of high school and close to making a decision on which college I’ll be attending in the fall. This year, I’ve been so focused on school and sports that all I want to do on the weekends is sleep and relax.. This Friday turned out a little different. As usual I had a stressful day that included multiple tests and quizzes which made my brain feel like scrambled eggs. Also, what’s a school day without a daily scoop of drama. Let’s just say I had a headache by the end of the day. After school I had practice. As the captain of my team, a lot of responsibility falls on me. By 6:00 p.m. I was ready to go home and curl up in my cozy bed and sleep til the next morning, but my friend had other plans for me. She was not having any part of me not going out, and basically dragged me out. We spent the night talking, laughing and making memories that would last me a lifetime. Afterwards, I couldn’t help but think I could have been missing out because of how my day started out. That day made me realize that when I let my stress and challenging feelings take over, I miss out on other opportunities that I really love, like having fun with my friends who I will be leaving in just a few short months. I learned that there’s more to life than just school and sports. While they are definitely important, there has to be a balance. I’ve been spending more time focused on school and sports than on my social and emotional well being. In the end, I realized that forgetting about myself leads to feelings of isolation and I feel disconnected from myself and other people that I care about.
Finally, I can turn any day around in a matter of minutes by focusing on creating balance in my life. It’s my choice to create the life that I want.