We've seen the Instagram reels and social media clickbait during past-midnight doomscrolling sessions: there is a difference between discipline and motivation. Students don't have to guess at which option is more desirable; after all, there must be a reason why the contemporary definition of happiness is success.
Terms such as ‘hustle culture’ have emerged to define the universal pressure young adults feel as they step into adulthood expected to have mapped out their lives for the next decade. It seems as though the more productive tasks we manage to squeeze into our 24-hour days, the better lives we will live.
However, balance is not synonymous with control. This can be difficult to stomach when we step back to realize just how much of our lives depend on our efforts to cultivate habits. Habits can develop into unhealthy coping mechanisms or restrictive behaviors.
According to BBC, a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2021 revealed that over three-quarters of a million people are dying from a type of heart disease and stroke due to working for longer hours. In short, overwork is killing us.
We cannot help but click on attractive websites and read through elaborate plans that claim they can solve our procrastination by building us the perfect schedule. We have skincare routines to try, meal preps to experiment on, and an array of study techniques and organizing apps to add to our arsenal. How can an overwhelmed student burdened by college applications, social pressure, and accumulating responsibilities find balance?
Building (and potentially breaking) sustainable routines
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Maximize the time when you are motivated instead of pushing toward achieving the ultimate “grindset” – a term coined to illustrate a near superhuman ability where people work twelve hours a day. At that point, is productivity worth sacrificing your sanity?
But, each person has their own limits so it is crucial to experiment with a variety of routines – and learn how to break them.
Those tips may sound contradictory (I mean, why would we break out of a perfectly sustainable routine that works for us and our needs?) Staying anchored to a schedule that works for us such as a morning routine is admirable and could be our end goal. However, if a schedule doesn't go to plan it could send us into a spiral if we aren't used to being flexible.
While routines can be a sanity saver and physical repetition is proven to improve our overall health (Northwest Medicine), according to an article by Forbes – flexibility is the new future. In the workplace, over 60% of GenZ prefer flexible work schedules, which goes to show how important it is to push for malleable routines.
When you begin easing into a school routine for the new year, consider self-reflecting. Changing habits and routines to “glow up” for a new school year does not mean you have to drastically change your life to the point where you are deeply uncomfortable. Consider journaling your intentions and goals for a new school year.
Hobbies for pleasure
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Striving for a balanced view on life can start with simple mindset changes regarding your hobbies. Over the past few years, extracurriculars have distinguished themselves from hobbies where high schoolers feel the need to overextend their responsibilities and accumulate as many leadership roles as possible.
Do you do some after school activities just because they may appear desirable to an anonymous college application reviewer? Do you dread some of your larger commitment activities because they don't bring you fulfillment?
Acheiving balance can be such a large challenge because there are so many platforms encouraging teens to monetize their hobbies and engage in “productive leisure." To rid ourselves of extremes, self-reflection and reframing your mindset consistently is a pivotal factor. Coloring, watching comfort shows with friends, going on walks in nature, and sitting in bed with a good book all ‘count’ as hobbies just as much as hobbies that have more physical demands (crafting, dancing, writing, etc.) In fact, the very notion that hobbies should be justified is absurd.
At these points, especially as students desperate to discover ourselves and our future trajectories, we have to recognize that we aren't made to log hours and stay disciplined constantly. We aren't supposed to define ourselves based on someone else's predetermined rules or a checklist relegating productivity, because productivity is relative. Productivity can mean making your bed or meditating after a stressful exam week.
Productivity can mean sleeping in or getting up before school to get in a gym workout. That is why our free time hobbies and how we unwind during our leisure time are so important for teens seeking to avoid extremism.
Adopting Healthy Fitness Habits
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The best way to develop a healthy attitude toward exercise is to incorporate movement into small activities throughout your day. Especially as students who spend most of our school days sitting in desks staring at screens, going on a small walk or dusting off an old bike can give us a – quite literal, well-deserved – breath of fresh air.
Some young people enjoy the company of others by going to the gym while others prefer home workouts without needing a scheduled class. Varying the types of workouts can prevent early burnout and viewing movement as a chore or another item on an endless “to-do” list. Shifting your mindset can lift your spirits when your brain needs a break from constant work and overwhelming brain strain.
For some brief inspiration, students should consider these different exercises, which anyone can participate in: yoga, pilates, stretching, meditation, spin-cycling, running/walking on the treadmill, hiking, rock climbing, YouTube workouts, and more! Don't view movement as a sport or aspect of life you have to perfect in order to deserve. Teenagers need to take care of their bodies and give them time to heal and explore nourishing hobbies.
Staying busy vs. Staying Present
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Most lasting memories aren't made while sitting behind a desk staring at our laptops or our phones concealed behind the screen during a meeting that has run far past its airtime. Spending time with loved ones or even learning to enjoy our own company are soft skills everyone should dedicate effort to develop.
It's true; we all have 24 hours in a day, but not all of us have the same resources and accessibility to be efficient or to show up for ourselves 100% of the time.
Being prepared is a useful asset, but so is learning to pivot when we are underprepared.
Our teenage years are sparing, and as procrastinating high schoolers know – we cannot squeeze enough hours into our days. So, as a new school year rolls forward faster than we can process, take time to reflect on what matters to you. How can you experiment with healthy habits that challenge your comfort zone but don't leave you stranded in an unfamiliar ocean?
Be kind to yourself this school year, and practice staying present instead of overloading with extracurriculars or work. Often, this is a form of discipline just as valid as finishing your overdue essay.
