It’s that time of the semester again: Spring break has been over for a little while, and that fresh burst of energy has all but dissipated.

The professors are gearing up for the next round of exams and finals are rearing their ugly heads on the horizon. Add to that the ever-present specter of personal issues, and you have a fine cocktail of misery.

Sometimes life is just too much for you. It’s like that for me right now, and I bet it’s like that for a lot of Case Western Reserve University students right now too. If you’re reading this thinking, “Wow, this guy is totally spot on,” do me a favor and take a deep breath. In, then out. It’s going to be okay.

As CWRU students, we are held to very high standards. This sounds great on paper, but in reality it translates to weeks of high stress and frantic studying, always paranoid that you’re going to tank that next exam. Most of the time, we can handle it; that’s why we came to CWRU, after all. Sometimes, though, something pushes you over the brink, and it’s tempting to shut down entirely.

I know plenty of students who have had this exact experience. Again, maybe some of you are going through it right now. It’s hard, it really is, but the key to surviving times like these is to take care of yourself.

I know; it seems counterintuitive. What’s the point in worrying about your own mental or physical well-being when you have three papers and four exams this week?

Well, as it turns out, there’s plenty of reason to. Taking an afternoon or a day to yourself can do absolute wonders for your morale, not to mention for your mental and physical health. Take a walk. Read a book. Enjoy some of the rare nice weather we’ve been having recently. Laugh with your friends.

Remember why you love CWRU. Sometimes we lose sight of these things, and it’s crucial that you don’t lose sight of them for too long.

Hey, I know you’re thinking that you just don’t have time for any of that nonsense right now. I’m telling you that you do, I promise. At the very least, you have more than you think.

I didn’t buy any of this either until I tried it recently; I took a day off, and the next day I made up my work from the previous day and then some. I can’t remember the last time I was so productive.

Trying to force yourself through when your entire body is against you is admirable, but college isn’t supposed to totally break you. Everything’s going to be fine, and we’ll make it through this.

Take one more deep breath for the road, okay?

Danny Miles is a second-year student who has been awfully tired lately.