Obligations are important. Clubs rely on people steadily attending and participating in order to accomplish anything worthwhile. Keeping these obligations is incredibly important, but students still have an obligation to engage in self-care.
If something — a club, relationship, school or team — is getting in the way of your mental and physical well-being, you ought to seriously gauge if the benefits are worth the costs, which can be scary.
It can feel like you're letting your friends, parents and peers down. It may even seem like it would be jeopardizing your future. All of this is very understandable. But we all have an obligation to ourselves, and we need to remember that.
Don't just abandon ship at the first sign of trouble. This process ideally involves plenty of thought and self-searching before any actions are made. You could try taking a step back first to see how it makes you feel.
But it is important to remember that you have the option to withdraw yourself from any situation at any point.
Just be clear and open about why you're leaving. This helps those in charge to help people in the future, and if your presence is crucial to operations, it allows them to find a replacement.
For those who lead organizations or do not feel bogged down in their current activities, you still play a crucial role in this. Guard against perpetuating stigmas of laziness or coddling that often pollute real conversations about mental health.
For friends and family, be supportive of your loved ones and see where they are coming from. Once again, don't just write off your friends' issues as not serious.
It is entirely irrational and unhealthy to punish yourself by doing something you hate. So don't.
