Hello all, my name is Angelina Bush and I am the new Advocacy Intern for 1N5! I am a rising junior at Xavier University studying Philosophy, Politics, and the Public with a concentration in Pre-Law. One way I engage with self-care is by investing time in my first love: music.
For me, my mental health as a child and now as a young adult has always been closely tied to my education. I was always told as a kid that getting an education was the key to unlocking success. While earning a high school diploma, college degree, etc certainly is part of the equation, if you don’t take care of your mental health in the process, the pieces of paper you spent four years working towards can become obsolete.
I’m not a competitive person, except if that person is me. Grades became a significant factor in defining my self-worth starting as early as 3rd and 4th grade. I don’t think I recognized it at the time, but 10-year-old me was looking for something else to occupy my time besides school. I spent elementary, middle, and high school participating in school musicals, choirs, and vocal lessons to improve my skills. Not only did these activities help me meet kids with similar interests, but they also encouraged me to find my sense of self. It helped me conclude that I am not defined by a letter grade because a letter grade cannot and will not be able to encapsulate who I am as a person. It was a tough lesson to learn and is still one I am learning as a college student.
No human being is perfect, so it is unrealistic to expect individuals to adhere to rigorous standards 100% of the time. While it is important to encourage students (aka the future workforce) to reach their full potential, the underlying notion to succeed at all costs is unsustainable. Prioritizing other interests is an effective way to practice self-care and remind ourselves that we are more than the fruits of our labor.