Finding Your Balance in College

The importance of balance in all areas of life cannot be overstated. We know why balance is important in a literal sense. Without it, we couldn’t walk, dance, run, or do much of anything. However, just as important is balance in the figurative sense. It is important to be involved in activities and have an active social life, but overcommitting to these things can leave you feeling exhausted and burnt out. Just like balancing on a balance beam, if you lean too far in either direction, you’ll fall. If you don’t get involved in anything, you may find yourself feeling bored and isolated but if you get involved in too much, your mental and emotional well-being may suffer. My freshman year of college, I definitely struggled with stretching myself too thin. I threw myself into new clubs and friendships to the point where I was constantly tired and anxious from the strain of all the things that I felt like I had to do. In an effort to avoid being left behind, I became over-involved to the point where my mental health was suffering. I’m a lot better about keeping my balance than I was my first semester and while I’m still not perfect, here are some things I have learned along the way.

One of the first lessons I learned was with respect to clubs and activities. Virginia Tech is a great institution to attend in that there are a lot of clubs, organizations, and ways to get involved. Passionate about reading? Got a club for that. Obsessed with chocolate milk? Chocolate Milk Club is for you! Hang gliding your thing? Got you covered! And while this is an undeniably great thing, it can also lead students to feel like they have to take on too much. So this is my advice: try a lot of things but only commit to the things you are truly passionate about and the things that leave you feeling full instead of empty. I encourage you to attend a lot of interest meetings. Figure out what activities clubs offer and when they meet. Talk to returning members about their experiences with the organization and exchange contact info with cool people you meet. After attending each meeting, be honest with yourself about if it is something you really want to invest your time in. Sometimes something will be a perfect match immediately and other times it will take attending a few meetings before you can make up your mind. If something isn’t for you, you don’t need to feel guilty about removing it from your schedule. Something you aren’t passionate about isn’t worth the stress that it will cause to fit it into your already busy schedule.

The second lesson I learned was this: seeking out new experiences and new people is undoubtedly very important, but it is also essential to leave time for rest. You don’t need to be busy all the time to be successful, get into graduate school, or get your dream job. Building your résumé is a good thing, but not if it comes at the expense of your relationships and your mental and physical health. As you seek to navigate college and all of its complexities, it is vital that you pay attention to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. You need to keep those things healthy in order to do the things you love and accomplish your goals. It may sound trite, but make sure you are eating enough and getting AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep every night. In my experience, these are some of the first things to go when myself and my friends get busy, but you really can’t function optimally without fueling your body. In addition to fueling your body, make sure you are fueling your mind. While sleep can help with this, it is also important to take time for self-care. Self-care is a word that we like to throw around a lot, but what it really comes down to is taking time to do things that make you feel at peace, happy and energized. This doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Self-care can be as simple as taking a short walk in Hahn Horticulture garden, calling your best friend, or setting aside a short period of time each day to be creative. I know it may feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for sleep and food and self-care and clubs and academics, but sometimes taking care of ourselves means saying no to things that are preventing us from doing so. In your quest to balance all of these things, it is vital that you prioritize yourself and put what your physical and mental health require above any club, class, or relationship. You may feel like you have to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way but please listen to me when I say you really don’t. Learning to say no to things that you are not passionate about and that leave you feeling drained is an essential skill for maintaining your well-being and overall sense of sanity.

Another important skill to develop is learning when to ask for help. Virginia Tech has a lot of resources available if you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed, or even if you just feel like you need someone to talk to. Even when it may feel like it, you are not alone. The Cook Counseling Center is located on campus and provides individual and group counseling services that are available to all Virginia Tech students. Cook Counseling Center also has drop-in availability via residential embedded counseling in East Eggleston Hall. Another resource that is available is TimelyCare which offers students 12 free scheduled counseling appointments per academic year as well as unlimited health coaching and use of the Talk Now feature. Another great program is the FEELS Support Circle run by Hokie Wellness. The FEELS Support Circle is a peer support group run by students for students. It is a great way to learn more about how to navigate mental health challenges and about maintaining your emotional well-being, all while connecting with your fellow Hokies. In addition to this, Hokie Wellness is starting a new program in the spring of 2024 called the Connection Project. The Connection Project is a 6-10 person one credit hour class that meets once a week where students take part in deep conversations with their peers and have the opportunity to be accepted and valued for who they are. There is also time built in for fun activities so it’s a great way to destress!

As we all reflect on the fall semester and look forward to the spring, let us all remember to set aside time for rest so that we can pursue the things we love wholeheartedly and prioritize our own health and well-being as we seek to balance all of college’s challenges and opportunities. Good luck in the upcoming semester and go Hokies!