My year always starts like this: I celebrate New Year’s by jumping my heart out under the light of fireworks, I set goals I want to achieve for rest of the year, make a bunch of plans with my friends (that may or may not come to fruition due to schedule conflicts), prepare myself for a new semester of university, start strong— and then nothing. By the time midterms roll around, my all-time high crashes atrociously, leaving behind the mud prints of what could have been a solid year of productivity.
For the longest time, I couldn’t understand why I consistently fell short of my goals. I had always been remarkably eager to set goals and see them achieved. The belief that the pursuit of happiness and a fulfilled life starts with curiosity, productivity, and perseverance has been instilled in my mind since I was young. So I believed that setting the building blocks for my future meant starting strong in my endeavors and ending even stronger.
Like a blazing fire, I worked myself to the bone, trying to reach higher and higher heights. However, before I can even get halfway through my achievements, the burnout hits. Stress, fatigue, and the dreadful force of writer’s block all form a massive boulder that I feel obliged to carry, and when my strength gives way, I could feel my dreams of a productive year coming to an end.
I couldn’t understand why. Despite the constant hustle, I made sure to take care of myself. As was the norm for most people, my life fell into a routine: I worked, ate three times a day, and divided my free time between studying and socializing with friends. It wasn’t like me to forget about my health either, and I always prioritized eating balanced meals. My life was busy, sure, but the sooner tasks were accomplished, the sooner they would come to an end.
Like pumping the pedals on a bicycle would get you to your destination faster, I kept going and going, with my eyes focused solely on the road ahead, and because of this, I realized later that I wasn’t giving myself the time to breathe.
Sharing My Light & Healing Energy: A Journey to True Self by Greisson Peiffer shows exactly that—the importance of giving yourself time to breathe. In a world that has grown at a fast pace and is prone to routine and stress, we must do better to manage the things that weigh us down and ensure we don't drain our energy.
Having an organized routine lifestyle may give you more structure to your day, but it may also leave no space for rest. Eating healthy and spending time with our loved ones are essential aspects of our lives, but we must also make time for ourselves occasionally. Healing energy involves some form of meditation, creating a quiet space for your mind to absorb peace and replenish itself. According to Peiffer, healing energy can manifest in different ways for different people, such as taking a walk by yourself, listening to music, or even reading a book, and through these activities, we reserve time to clear our minds of whatever is burdening them.
This July, let us remind ourselves that Nutrition Month is not just about paying attention to the food we eat. Proper nourishment of the self does not only involve physical nutrition but also the nourishment of the mind.
By Keanah Angeli R. Andres