from one burntout student to another:
theres a kind of tiredness that sleep doesnt fix anymore. i dont know when i forgot how to just exist without feeling like i need to be doing something, something "productive", finishing a "todo list". even when im resting, my mind is running in circles, overthinking things that dont need to be overthought, worrying about things i canโt control.
i wish i could pause, just for a little while. not to plan, not to catch up, not to prepare for whats next, more classes, new lists- but just to be, just to exist, to breathe. but somehow, even the idea of slowing down feels like falling behind, i feel guilty even sleeping more than a few hours, feeling like i'm wasting time i could've spent it getting something else done.
if u feel the same, i hope u know that u're not alone. and i hope, even if just for a moment, u let yourself breathe without guilt. u deserve that much. u r more than ur deadlines, more than ur todo lists, more than the pressure weighing on u, the expectations of urself and others. its okay to rest. its okay to feel lost. and itโs okay to not have it all figured out right now. the world wont fall apart if you take a step back. and maybe, js maybe, uโll find a little bit of urself again in the quiet.