Sarah Burgin Health

and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that! 😂 I can’t wait to get cracking in my new chosen career so I need to get through this final year. But at the same time, the impact of academia on my mental and physical health, isn’t something I should underestimate.

As someone who has furiously fought the education system as a child with undiagnosed working memory issues, I built up quite a dislike for graded systems. Over the years, as I have learned about child development and motivation, it’s not changed my mind on this. However, as an adult returning to education, I have realised that all the young Sarah’s teachers cries of ‘if only you would apply yourself, you could do great things’, were actually true.

Applying myself wholeheartedly has meant I have been able to turn out some incredible work during my degree, as I absolutely love the subject and throw myself into it 100%. However, chasing the grades really is draining and quite honestly, isn’t focusing me on the science as much as it is the academics. I’d like to think that I will step back and be realistic about the amount of time and rewrites I churn out for every assignment this year, but I’m not sure I can now I’ve come this far; and this year carries more weight!

This battle of internal wills is something many of us grapple with when it comes to health and fitness too. Oftentimes we know what we should be doing, but something else drives us harder towards a very different goal. Half the battle can be understanding what drives these less than desirable behaviours, whether that be binge eating, procrastinating or running yourself into the ground in work and study.

Would you know where to start understanding what derails you? It can be a lengthy process, but it is absolutely worth it, even if you still semi ignore it from time to time!