I am going to be honest: I am writing this column the day it is due to my editor. I am not a procrastinator or someone who feeds off of just making a deadline. The contrary is true. I prefer to get things done early and double-check my work. However, when I become hyper focused on a column, school or any of my commitments, I tend to get overly obsessed with that one thing due to the stress I feel over it. Over time, I have found that having many difficult tasks actually makes me feel less stressed, or at least less obsessive.
The inspiration for this article came from an epiphany I had earlier in the semester. I had just returned from a weekend at home and was preparing for a big test the following Tuesday. I spent nearly all my free time that Monday studying — watching videos on the test’s topics, doing practice problems and reading the textbook ad nauseam.
The nonstop studying on Monday made me feel better about the topic, but also made me hyper-fixated on my performance on the test. With each practice problem and line I wrote on my grid-paper notebook, I theorized everything I could forget and all that could go wrong on the test.
On the day of the exam, I had another obligation: track practice. As I stepped on the track, I had a new, difficult task: a workout to complete. Almost immediately, I forgot all about my exam because I had something more pressing to deal with. As my legs grew tired, my face reddened and my breath labored, I found my worries about my exam falling away.
As college students, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by day-to-day stressors and feel swamped by every assignment, test and paper. I feel the entire semester of work weighing upon me. I am unable to feel accomplished until the very last submission. Yet, having something else to focus on — something completely different than academics — can help me to stay present and prevent burnout.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting you over-burden yourself with too many difficult obligations. Being too busy can lead to burnout, and the point of this column is not to suggest that you run from your problems by creating new requirements for yourself. However, engaging in various challenging activities can be beneficial when done intentionally and managed correctly.
I stress variety in your obligations. If you pile schoolwork on other academic-based activities, that may only contribute to your stress. Instead, try finding an activity or hobby that taps into a different part of your being, brain or soul. If you feel swamped by schoolwork, try exercise — the difficult movements and endorphins released can lessen your academic stressors. If you spend too much time doomscrolling or feeling unproductive, try reading and challenging your short attention span.
Above all, do not be afraid to push yourself in multiple realms of life, especially beyond traditional academic obligations. Live according to the old cliche: Do not be scared to try new things. Step out of the one-sided, academia-obsessed culture at AU and have fun! Push yourself! And do hard things in a rejuvenating way!
Addie DiPaolo is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Quinn Volpe, Alana Parker and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Emma Brown and Nicole Kariuki.
