Things Fall Apart

If you ever thought managing your time became difficult, wait until you’ve reached a monumental step in your life. I am now a senior in high school and sometimes, everything feels like it is crumbling down on me. Trying to balance the time between having a job, being a student, cheerleading for two teams, being a professional tumbler, and on top of that applying for colleges and scholarships, it seems as if I never have time to relax. There is never a day where I am not busy to just take time for myself because I am trying to keep up with the world around me. With all of the responsibilities I have to balance and maintain, I started to realize that I was mentally and emotionally stressed. I began to turn my stress into anger and was taking it out on the people that I love. During that time, I just wanted to be alone. I shut everything and everyone out. Things were falling apart, but of course I didn’t want things to stay like that. It took time for me being alone to realize that I needed a day to myself where I could distress and not worry about everything around me. In other words, I took a “me day”.

As a student athlete it is vital that we learn to optimize our days off and dedicate those days to self-care. Some of the best ways I spend my off-days are: 

1. Going to the nail spa
a. If you love to do girly things like me then this will be perfect. A fresh manicure and pedicure always brightens my mood. Pick a color that will boost your confidence!

 

2. Sleep
a. Because the amount of sleep an athletes gets each night affects performance, it is
recommended that we receive 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, only 68% of athletes have poor-sleeping habits. Therefore, get some sleep! Give yourself the extra hours of sleep that you’ve been missing out on. You will notice that you have more energy and that this will have a positive impact on your performance in practice.

 

3. Getting work done
a. It seems like a lot, but it feels good accomplishing things that you were struggling
to complete before.

 

4. Cleaning
a. I know – cleaning is not our favorite activity, but it something we should do every once in a while. Getting rid of old clothes, dusting off our furniture, rearranging, and listening to our favorite genre of songs while doing so. (My favorite is R&B)

 

5. Going out to lunch with friends
a. Most of the time, your friends are people you can vent to. When you’re feeling down or stressed, plan a lunch date with your best friends. These should be people that you can count on and who have your back no matter what.

 

6. Setting new goals for the week
a. Goal-setting is one of my favorites. Have you always wanted to do something, but could not find the time? The time is now! A goal can never be set too high. Go for what you want to achieve and believe in your capabilities to overcome self-doubt. Believing in
yourself is one of the most powerful traits to have.

 

While responsibilities are coming towards you from different directions, it is easy to stray away from your purpose. Perseverance is a life-long skill that is needed throughout all steps of life. Realizing that you may become down at certain parts of your cheerleading career is okay. If you uses some of tips above, I will ensure you that you will feel 10x healthier. Things fall apart, but we must put everything back together.

~Kennedy Brown