Author: Ann Wong

Balance. I've recently discovered that no matter who we are, whether we're in school or out in the workforce, balance is important. I've found this to be particularly true as a high school student, constantly battling with a busy schedule.

From schoolwork and studying for the ACT and SAT to my social life, volunteer work, and extracurriculars, there never seemed to be enough time in the day to attend to each of my activities without feeling overwhelmed. Without a true sense of balance, I found myself stressed and sleep-deprived trying to juggle everything that I needed and wanted to do.

Finally, one night after staying up until 2AM to finish my homework, I decided that I needed to do things differently. I was done with not getting enough sleep and feeling that I wasn't accomplishing anything. I decided to find my balance.

It was difficult at first. I didn't know where to start or how exactly I would be able to balance everything that I needed to without completely cutting out an important aspect of my life. I tried various approaches without success. The biggest failure was thinking it would happen automatically. I realized it would take some planning.

I finally found what worked for me. Being an organized person, I find that keeping a daily calendar is very effective. I even set reminders. I already knew how to plan and schedule my week with what I needed to complete each day to stay on top of my work. So, I applied the same approach to making time to relax and enjoy myself.

Here's how it works: I plan out a chunk of time to do my homework, one of the biggest stressors in my day. I've gotten better at estimating how long that will take, which helps. Along with that, I schedule time to just unwind. No matter how stressed I might get, I know I can turn to my schedule, and see that I have taken time for myself into consideration. Whether it's listening to audio books or reading, going for a walk, or hopping on the treadmill, I find time every day to do something that is relaxing.

As I come to a close on my blog post today, I hope you'll keep one thing in mind: find your balance. I've come to realize how important and helpful it is for me to pay attention to this in my everyday life. I've heard adults talk about work-life balance, but I didn't know school-life balance was just as important. Now that I have it, I can't imagine what my day would be like without having a plan that takes the need for balance into account.

It may be challenging at first, but trust me, once you find your balance, it will make everything that much easier. As I think ahead to college, and even a career, I know that managing my time means more than getting my work done, or scheduling activities, whatever they may be. It also means making time for myself. Why not get a head start on discovering how to create balance in your life? If you're reading this blog post, you've already taken a step in that direction!

Balance. Balance. Balance.