Jessica Poplawski, Period 6, 5/10/23

 Jessica Poplawski 

Blog #4 - Atomic Habits and Growth 

5/10/23

It’s very common to struggle to be productive. To fall victim to procrastination, to push things off until the last minute. However, I suffer from the opposite problem–working myself to death. It’s happened frequently that I’ll stay up until 2 AM to ensure that an assignment is perfect. I’ll never risk turning anything in late, even when I’m working at my karate school from 5 to 10 PM, three times a week. I fall into the Type A trap of constant productivity and resent stagnancy,  never giving myself an opportunity to rest. Whereas some people’s standards are to be better and put more effort into the things they do, mine are to give myself more moments when I can take a deep breath. To step back and ask myself what I truly need. To appreciate the little things that make life worth living. 

Growing up, I would always hear about the concept of “self-care.” However, it always conjured up images of Instagram influencers shrugging off their work, lounging in spa clothes with cucumbers on their eyelids. I would see it as a lazy excuse–ignoring your responsibilities in the name of bettering yourself. It didn’t dawn on me until I started experiencing the real stress that comes with planning your future that “self-care” is something that everyone needs. Being the first person in my family to apply to college, the research of how to do everything fell on my shoulders. My parents couldn’t help me, and being the oldest child, neither could my siblings. I was constantly anxious, worried that I wasn’t doing things right. The layer of stress underneath figuring out my education was figuring out what field I wanted to go into–and tailoring my studies accordingly. Balancing this on top of my school work was a lot, and I found a way to get it done. However, it was at the expense of my mental health. 

These experiences have taught me that if I want to keep my sanity, sometimes it’s best to take a break from the constant workload and rest my mind. The difficult part was figuring out which activities would help me accomplish this. I already knew that doing martial arts, both teaching classes and taking them, was a good outlet, and it helped me get through tough times in the past. To put it bluntly, kicking and punching things is a really good stress reliever. I also discovered the gym. Taking a break from constant studying to lift heavy things and feel the accomplishment from my results and progression works wonders for stress. Despite looking at words all day in school, I’ve found that another good outlet is getting absorbed into a really good book. Whether it’s the cheesiest romance novel or the most intricate fantasy world, fiction is where the heart is. 

 To ensure that I stay happy, I make sure to incorporate these three activities into my weekly schedule. I do karate twice a week, and when I have time off from that, I make sure to go to the gym, even if it’s for a short workout. I also try to reach my weekly reading goal of one book. The majority of the time, I complete the tasks I set for myself. If I don’t, I feel the effects–a racing mind full of anxious thoughts. Adjustments to my schedule will come as needed–if I’m not able to complete all of my schoolwork, I’ll need to sacrifice a bit, and if I feel like I need to take more time for myself, I will.  

Life isn’t just about work. Enjoyment and accomplishment can be found in the little things as well. Taking breaks to converse with the people I love, trying a new hobby, and getting physical activity in are all things I need to do to ensure that I stay healthy mentally. The standards I craft for myself are for my own well-being, to make sure I don’t get caught up in the hustle, and take time for everything that matters in my life.