By: Isabella Monroe
When I began my academic journey at Texas Tech, I had no idea just how involved I would become on campus. Every opportunity around me seemed daunting and the idea of putting myself out there was intimidating beyond belief. Reflecting on that feeling of being lost at sea and not knowing which direction to take my first step, the comfort I feel now still surprises me.
Setting out on a path of involvement started by joining a sorority my freshman year. Finding my place in such a large group gave me the confidence to begin branching out further - this time hyper-focusing on my interests. My sophomore year, I found myself walking through the door of my first PRSSA meeting.
Attending every meeting, I quickly became heavily involved. I began to recognize faces and when I waved, to my surprise they waved back. I gathered up the confidence to run for an officer position and was successful in my election. I was surprised by how comfortable I felt in my responsibilities both as a student and leader. I soon thought, ‘Why not see what else I can be a part of?
I found myself applying for every opportunity I could. Interview after interview, I began to take on new roles across campus - Student Ambassadorships, IABC Vice President of Branding and Engagement, RaiderComm Agency member and more. My hands were full and I began to juggle my countless responsibilities, always pushing ahead towards the next opportunity however I could find it.
Pushing myself even further, suddenly I was sitting in on an 8 a.m. class without credit and applying for more even positions in the CoMC, like the DSA. Along with adding additional part-time jobs and creating my own social media manager position for a local office, I began to feel like I was drowning. I was creating so many opportunities for myself, and with that came endless responsibilities. But I still felt like it wasn’t enough.
Taking a step back from the organized chaos in my head, I thought, ‘How can I continue like this? How do I balance it all?’ The burnout was real, and I was on fire. Allowing myself a moment of pause gave me crucial insight into how I was managing my time and my mental health.
I know now that giving myself moments of rest and care is the only way to continue on this advancing path without total burnout. Saying ‘No’ is an option - no, it really is! As simple as it might seem, making sure I take care of myself now is the only way to really take care of me.
Balancing it all doesn’t stem from the color-coded spreadsheets, the sticky notes scattered across my laptop or the reminders that ping across my phone each morning. It comes from an internal balance and care for that precious energy I use so much of to complete my work. I find that balance in taking care of myself.
Comments