What My Time Off Has Taught Me

June 9, 2017 

If I were to ask myself back in January what I thought I would learn on my leave of absence, I probably would have reluctantly hoped that it would have to do with my health and well being.  Hopefully I would have pinpointed exactly what was wrong with me, and I would acquire the necessary skills to fix it.

Much to my surprise, however, what I learned was far more complex than that, and it completely changed how I choose to live my life.  Not only am I feeling better physically, but I am also the happiest that I have been in years.  The way in which I have grown this year has been completely unconventional, but I learned valuable lessons that I attribute one hundred percent to my time off. 

Here are just a few of the things that I learned over the course of this year…

I am enough on my own

Prior to taking my leave of absence, I relied on my friends so much.  I am not saying that it is bad to spend lots of time with people that you adore, but it’s also super important to be comfortable on your own.  After packing up my dorm room and returning home in January, I immediately faced the reality that I would be spending a lot of time by myself.  Most of my friends that still lived in the area were busy with school, travel or work, and I was left to entertain myself for the most part.  Although difficult in the beginning, I learned to enjoy the time that I have to myself, and use it as an opportunity to reenergize.  I still enjoy spending time with my friends, but I now also look forward to the moments in my day that I have to myself.

Busy is good

During most of high school and my first half of this year, I made an effort to keep my schedule pretty flexible.  I liked the idea of being able to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, and loved the freedom of planning out my own days.  While nice at times, I’ve learned that it is so much better to keep busy.  There is definitely a fine like between being busy and overbooked, but for the most part, I love always having something to do.  I started working a lot this year, and have made an effort to take up any extra shifts that I am given.  When I’m working, I feel so much more productive with my time, and it forces me to get out of bed in the morning and get my day started earlier.  I still love having a day in the week where I can sleep in a little bit and play it by ear, but for the most part, I’ve found that keeping busy is a better and more fulfilling way to live.

Get up early

This has been a real game changer for me.  I used to love sleeping in.  I would stay up late the night before, and could sleep until 11:00 or 11:30 if I let myself.  While it felt great in the moment to not wake up to an alarm clock, and to lounge in bed for hours, I always found that the minute I did get up, I would feel gross and lethargic.  As many of you readers know, I’ve dedicated this year to getting my health under control, and being able to feel my best every single day. Surprisingly enough, despite my chronic fatigue, getting up early has actually been one things that really helps me.  By getting up early, I have the opportunity to be super productive in the morning, and then have the evening to be a little bit more relaxed and catch up with friends and family.  Additionally, this slight adjustment has completely changed my sleep schedule, and I now really enjoy going to bed at a reasonable hour, and getting a healthy amount of rest.

Have a personal project to work on

I honestly cannot stress enough how important this one is to me.  It is really easy to get caught with work and whatever else might be going on in our lives, and we can easily forget to follow our passions.  Having a personal project to work on when you have some free time, whether that be five minute or a few hours of your day, can really make a difference in the quality of life that you live.  I love feeling productive during the day and going to work, but none of that is what I am truly passionate about, and if I didn’t have the time to work on something that is meaningful to me, I would not be the same happy person that I am.  My project over the course of this year has been my blog.  I started it last August after contemplating the idea for years, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it earlier.  It is so hard to say where this will take me in the years to come or who is reading what I have to say, but this blog has really helped me reflect gain perspective on my own life and what I am doing at the moment.  It has inspired me to make every moment count, and driven me to make each and every day incredible.  Whatever your passion may be, pour every ounce of yourself into it, and allow yourself to learn as much as you can.  I promise you that if you take the time to work on something that you are passionate about, no matter where it takes you, you will be a happier person.

I hope that some of what I have said has resonated with you readers, an that you can apply some of these things to your own life. 

Good luck!

-sb