Maybe it was because I was quite a reserved person in high school, or maybe people heard things through word of mouth, but people always asked me “How do you balance your academic life with your personal life?” I think my answer to this question is that I try to make balance a central part of my life. In my sophomore year of high school, my English teacher asked us to write one word on a sticky note that we wanted to focus on for the rest of the year. My word was balance. It went up on the wall in neon pink, surrounded by words like persevere and bravery. At that time of my life, I was climbing out of burnout: nights falling asleep on my desk, missing calls from grandparents because I was “too busy,” and waking up with that hollow feeling every morning. I knew I wanted to change my habits, so I centered the rest of my high school experience on balance, and I carry that to each part of my life now.

My hobbies became one of the ways I held onto that promise. I like to bake, paint, crochet. Anything that involves making something out of nothing or using creative abilities, I’m there. Using my mind in a way that’s not balancing chemical reactions or writing a rhetorical analysis makes me feel like I have the ability to focus on other things, and do them well. Those creative outlets help me reset, so when I return to the academic or professional part of my life, I have the energy and clarity to give it my best effort.

Another part of what keeps me balanced is the support system I’ve built around me. My friends and family remind me that it’s okay to slow down, take breaks, and celebrate the small successes. Once, after a rough day, my friend showed up with a coffee and a cake pop, taped to a note that read: “10 things I love about Sakhi.” Having people who believe in me and also care about me outside of academics has taught me that my worth isn’t defined by what I accomplish on paper. 

The type A perfectionist part of me honestly makes having balance in life way easier. I live by my color coded google calendar and dated to-do lists, not just because I want to excel academically, but because being on top of things gives me the freedom to enjoy other parts of my life. When I know I’ve put in the work, I can bake cookies, go for a walk, or crochet a sweater without guilt. For me, balance isn’t about perfection, but about knowing my limits, so I know that I’m not sacrificing one part of my life for another.

I haven’t perfected the art of balance yet, I haven’t even lived half my life. But I keep the neon pink sticky note from sophomore year taped above my desk as a reminder that it’s something worth striving for. Knowing that it’s something I value keeps me accountable and pushes me to think about it more consciously. It isn’t something I’ll ever fully achieve, but It’s something I’ll keep working toward, being more aware of how the different parts of my life combine into one.