How to Keep Going When Everything Feels Off Track

By Harper Sabin

Edited by Taylor Morgan

Life is about learning to roll with the punches, even when those punches land a little harder than we expect. Some days it is something small, such as missing the bus or forgetting your lunch. Other days, it is heavier, knocking us off our feet and making the ground beneath us feel unstable (I have had my fair share of these days lately). But no matter the size of the setback, we must keep moving. We must adapt. We must try. So, as the end of the semester creeps in and life feels a bit heavier, I’ve been thinking about what it really means to “keep going.” 

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I am someone who thrives on routine, with my days being carved down to the near minute—5 am wakeup, 5:15 morning routine, 5:45 gym… you get the picture. Structured, predictable and safe. Recently, however, it has felt harder and harder to get out of bed. Harder to focus on my assignments. Harder to feel like myself within the routine that typically makes me feel grounded. What was once productive is typical, mundane and draining. It has become apparent that, with the changing of the seasons and the mounting stress of finals, something needs to shift. 

Maybe you feel this too. The days are colder and heavier. You don’t feel like your typical spry self. It is becoming easier to fall into the trap of thinking we need to “fix” ourselves the second we feel off. Believe me, even I am battling this. But I am learning that this is an opportunity to listen to your mind and body, not fight against them.

If you need extra sleep, take it. 

If you need more quiet or peace, give it to yourself.

If your old routine isn’t serving you anymore, change it. 

Instead of pushing through stress or seasonal lows just to maintain a schedule you have outgrown, try finding a new structure that brings you peace. Your body is asking for something different. 

We are made to ebb and flow. To learn and grow through change, not fight it. Feeling “off-track” isn’t a failure; it is a sign. You are allowed to shift, adapt, soften and change a routine that no longer loves you back.