During a difficult transition from teenager to adult, there are several misunderstandings about how to manage responsibilities and mental stabilities. 

When we graduate high school, we become an entity of forgottenness. It feels as if there is no longer time to spare, and it can go two ways: You indulge in free time, or you salvage “me” time. 

Free time is having time that could be dedicated to doing things that need to be done, but it is used for things such as scrolling on TikTok, hanging out with friends or watching Netflix. “Me” time, or self-care, is understanding that a break is needed and doing things to truly benefit your body and mind. 

It can be difficult to decipher the difference in the moment; however, there are key factors that separate them. 

During a school year or career, it feels as if there is never a pause. Since it feels like this, it is easy to lose sight of what is important. Since I am in college, I experience this feeling often. I can never tell if I have overworked myself, planned too many things or gave myself too little time to accomplish my tasks. 

There are several ways that I can tell if I accidentally placed myself in this position. Some of these include lack of comprehension, gaining energy throughout the week when I have not gotten a lot of sleep, decreasing appetite and sadness. 

If these feelings are prevalent during a conventionally stressful point in life, you are probably burnt out. There are healthy ways to fix this. Instead of going to work or class, coming back home and immediately suppressing your emotions in sources of temporary entertainment, use that time for self-care. For example, take a shower, eat a healthy meal, put on comfortable clothes and do workdays in advance so the end of your week can be free. 

The difference between using free time and self-care is remaining productive for the entirety of the day, rather than ending your hustle as soon as your duties are over. By remaining productive, you feel a sense of achievement, which can improve mental struggle, fatigue and performance. 

Every week, I try to keep my assignments, tests and other work minimal by doing it before the day it is due. It is important to prepare your mind for the light at the end of the tunnel, as it will be clear by the weekend if you stay on top of your responsibilities. By practicing self-care throughout the week, your weekend can be filled with free time that you may lack otherwise. 

As humans, we fall captive to laziness. Laziness has a negative connotation, but it should not. It is a form of our brains being tired and keeping us from succeeding in our daily obligations. The negative connotation comes from the way that humans react to exhaustion, not the feeling itself. 

When you are up later than usual, go to sleep and your alarm goes off five hours later, our first instinct is to silence the alarm and go back to bed. This is the reaction that laziness wants from you. It wants you to stay there, but your conscience wants you to leap up. Listen to your conscience. That is what it is there for. 

We should never feel like what we are doing is overpowering us from being functional. Fortunately, nothing can overpower us because we are stronger than the highs and lows. That is a very important fact to remember. Of course, it will not always be easy, and it will seem as if our wants are more important than our needs. Nevertheless, our obligations in life are a need, so we need to put our best foot forward. This need is a want, as we are doing it to better our futures and live our dreams. 

Re-instill a passion for life. Romanticizing little things like plating pasta for yourself with a candle, reading for 30 minutes a day, feeling the relief as you submit an assignment that was not due for three days or using coloring books will do good for your mind and motivation. Self-care during pressuring moments is far more important than ignoring responsibilities to wallow in free time. 

Free time and self-care are essential to a healthy life. We can determine which is needed and when. It is the same as the angel and devil on your shoulders; you know which is better for you, and you hope to practice the best option.

Remember to always keep track of how you are feeling and what your well-being needs. Keeping your head above water is up to you. Take advice from your conscience and celebrate simplicity. 

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