In life, in the workplace, and especially when wrapping up your time in college, we’re often told to say yes to everything. People always tell us that it isn’t about waiting for the opportunities to come at you, but getting ahead and doing what you can to build on the ones in front of you.

With that, a lot of my year was spent saying yes to every opportunity I could find. I almost wanted to test myself, to see just how much I could handle and really find the point where I felt overloaded.

I definitely found my limit.

Covering for a professional radio station, working on news stories daily with the college, classes, freelance social media management, a part-time retail gig, writing and podcast hosting for the Interrobang, are all just a few of the hats I was wearing throughout the course of the year.

I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish throughout the time that I’ve had, but it definitely came with a few of its own drawbacks.

On the one hand, I’ve gotten incredibly ahead of diversifying my resume, my perspectives, and my overall skills. Getting the experience in each area is one thing, but also knowing that I can schedule around four jobs on top of classes and balance them all fairly well has given me great confidence in my own capabilities.

The connections I’ve been able to make and acquire over that time are also incredibly beneficial to my future and definitely one of the most important aspects that I’ve been able to pick up. Especially in a journalism career, connections are everything.

On the other hand, I also tested my mental health throughout all that time.

Sleepless nights, constant commutes, little downtime, and constantly working can really take a toll on your mental heal th, a toll that I had never experienced before.

In one instance, every single outlet crossed over at once. That resulted in me getting five total hours of sleep over a 57-hour span. I felt closer to a zombie than I had ever been before by the end of it. While it was tough in the moment, it also had a lingering effect throughout the remainder of my workweek.

At the end of the day though, I was still able to complete everything including a major 20-minute audio documentary, two interviews, and eight newscasts, the podcast of which earned me one of my higher marks through the course of my program at Fanshawe.

The biggest difference-maker of it all was the fact that I loved all of it. It was work, yes, but so much of what I’ve been balancing over the past year has been work directly in the field that I’m striving to be in one day.

I had fun, which really pushed me through the toughest times of the year.

Mental health is important, you should always put your sleep and well-being ahead of everything that you’re doing in order to get the best results that you can in life.

But would I do it all over again if given the chance? The grind, the sleepless nights, the commutes, the mental toll? Absolutely, in a heartbeat.

Over the past year, I’ve discovered more about myself and what I can accomplish than I would say I have over the entire last decade. That alone is more valuable to me than sleep, food, and a social life.

Would I recommend it for others looking to achieve the same thing? No, I don’t think I would, unless you know whole-heartedly that it’s in the direction of the career of your dreams. Overworking showed me just what I can do, how hard I can work, and fully instilled in my head the full passion I have for what I’m doing.

If you don’t think you will be able to do the same thing, then keep your mental health, keep your time, and keep your life intact.

For me though, it was more than worth it.