As a student-athlete, my life gets hectic at times. For me, random weekday resets are needed sporadically throughout the month to keep me going. However, through May and April, there are almost no weekdays off from school.
If I don’t get breaks from school on the weekdays, going from school to swimming on some nights can be very chaotic. I come home from school and do some homework. After that, I barely have time to change and when I do, I don’t have time to clean up the clothes and jewelry I wore that day. I swim for two hours, come home, shower, and eat. I then make a mess of dishes, which I don’t have time to clean up, because I have to start more homework. Now, my house is messy, and I’m tired. If I had random days off to use as a reset period, I could catch up on chores, and sleep! When I don’t get them, my personal life becomes overwhelming and that reflects on my grades.
If I don’t get breaks from school throughout the month, I don’t have time to pick up after myself. That crowds my space, which leads to the crowding of my brain. Then, I don’t have the mental capacity to complete my homework to the best of my ability. I want to just do my assignments to say they are done, and I don’t care about doing them well. Say I have math homework due the next day. If my house is clean, and I have no chores to worry about, I am able to do my homework at a slower pace and I have enough mental strength to check the answers. On the contrary, if everything is messy and I have lots of chores to do, I rush through my work and don’t check my answers.
If I have a day off of school, I use it to the fullest of my abilities. I do the biggest tasks first, and the smaller ones later. Say I have to deep-clean my room, clean up my bathroom, and do some assigned reading. I would clean my room because it’s the messiest, then do my homework because it normally takes a long time to finish, and then I would tidy up the bathroom and put things in their place. When I barely get any weekdays off for two whole months, things get messy fast.
Not only do I have time to do housework obligations on a weekday day off, but I also have time to do fun things! I can hang out with friends, cuddle with my dog, and watch a show if I want to. Limited to no days off for two whole months takes a toll on my mental health, grades, and relationships with people.