Quote of the Week: Stress and Relaxation

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."

  ~Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris

Image from: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Stress.jpg

I found myself getting stressed out this week. I just started a new job, I'm acting in a play, and I have school responsibilities. Lately I've only seen my apartment at night before I go to bed, and my one day without responsibilities has gone to my friends and girlfriend. I've been so busy, I totally ignored my mental health. 

Then two of my good friends ended their relationship together. While this is certainly a sad event, it had an unnecessarily negative effect on me. I felt depressed all day, and didn't get nearly as much work done as I should have. The reason this happened is because I wasn't taking care of myself. I let things build up, then used a minor event to release all the emotional stress I had been accumulating lately. 

Sometimes, this happens in those who are suicidal. They bottle their emotions, then a seemingly minor event triggers intense feelings that they will do anything to get rid of, including suicide. This is why self-care is so important. It may seem selfish, but taking some time for yourself is detrimental to good mental health. So take some time to relax, no matter how busy you are. That may be the time when you need to the most.