In my blog today, I wanted to talk about making time for yourself abroad and fighting the “fear of missing out.” It has been a very hectic past couple of weeks, full of travel, adventure, and so many great memories. However, it is hard to fully enjoy your time abroad without getting proper rest and a good night’s sleep. In my first week in New Zealand, I was up very late at night, on go mode the whole week. On our first free day, I absolutely collapsed from exhaustion. I realized that it is totally okay to take time for yourself and go to bed early. I was afraid of missing the activities my friends and classmates were doing. However, I had to realize that rest was just important as water and food, in ensuring that my time was worthwhile. On the New Zealand trip, we have stayed in hostels the whole time. That is an adjustment on its own, due to the lack of privacy and quiet. It takes preparation, but I found that at least 20 minutes of headphones and journaling helped me to have less anxiety and stress for the day. You will not enjoy your activities if you are running off zero sleep. Even if it takes saying no to a late-night activity, it will be worth it the next day. For instance, a group of my friends wanted to go out to a bar late at night. I knew that I had to be up early the next morning for a hike, so as hard as it was saying no, it was worth the refreshing sleep.
