The beauty of the Pursuit of Happiness is that no matter who you are, where you live, what you know, when you were born, or who you love, you can be happy. True happiness is above the five W’s and so are you. Learn how to find happiness in the good and bad times of life. Believe it. Read it. Be happy.
Joe Douglas
– Editor-in-Chief –
Not all responsibilities carry the same weight. That’s why, from time to time, it feels nearly impossible to balance all of them and it becomes a great balancing act. It takes technique to carry out efficiently.
Teachers ask their students to study two hours for every hour spent in class. That means on Monday, when all four classes are done, there’s still eight more hours of study time. Full-time students taking the minimum load (12 credit hours) are asked to spend approximately 12 hours per day “in school,” not to mention Wednesday and Friday which will mean another 12 hours for each of those days. Breaking up study time between Monday and Tuesday means six hours per day, Monday through Saturday. But don’t forget other priorities.
Doctors recommend students get eight hours of sleep per night. Many students mistakenly dedicate too little time to sleeping and reprioritize it for having fun or pulling all-nighters for studying. People remember the most and are fully recovered from the previous day when they sleep for at least eight hours.
That’s 14 hours per day of the 24 hours allotted. Students may spend between approximately an hour getting ready for and going to school. This brings the total to 15 to 16 hours.
Work may take up about 12 hours or more per week if part time. Assuming the fewest hours, that’s about two hours per day Monday through Saturday, totaling 17 to 18 hours.
Lunch and dinner are becoming increasingly shorter. People should take 30 minutes to eat and which includes the act of eating, spending time with family, and/or developing relationships. That’s 18 to 19 hours.
That leaves students with about three to four hours to spend further time with family, develop relationships, and have fun. There are also extracurricular activities and hobbies, which may take an additional hour, reaching 19 to 20 hours.
Spending one or two hours having fun and chilling is highly recommended. Use the remaining hours as a buffer zone for responsibilities that need a little more time.
Keep in mind these are the minimal/recommended dedications. Taking 16 credit hours? Add on an extra two hours per day. Working full time? A mother? Father? Forget about it. Then there’s the recommended exercising a minimum three times a week.
Naturally, priorities can fluctuate depending on events, needs and wants. In turn, there’s always a need to balance them.
First, know the weight of each responsibility. Not in pounds or grams, but in importance.
Never forget to sleep a minimum of eight hours a night, don’t give up exercise, and take a little time to have fun or relax every day. These are de-stressors that allow healing, physically and mentally.
Second, time management is key. Keeping up-to-date with a planner and/or calendar always helps.
Third, make room for emergencies. Make sure there’s an hour or two per day for things that come up unexpectedly.
Lastly, don’t feel overwhelmed. Responsibilities are everywhere and take up time. Sometimes it’s necessary to take time from some responsibilities to fulfill the needs of another. Stay focused on what’s most important at the time, but don’t forget about other duties.
