There is nothing like starting out your spring break with a trip to the Health Center. The day before my planned departure, I found myself in the waiting room cringing with every swallow of my sore, swollen throat. Yet another cold, I thought. I’d finished a round of antibiotics just two days before to fight off a sinus infection. I’m the type of person that is generally sick from Thanksgiving until Easter. Lifestyle, poor immune system, stress; blame it on whichever or even a combination of them all, but needless to say, I’d had it.

This trip however, resulted in a diagnosis I’d never received: mononucleosis.

I left the Health Center overwhelmed. I’d had blood drawn for the first time in my life, and I had a viral disease there is no cure for — except rest.

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Rest is something I have not given myself much of in the past three years. As a college student, they always say, “Sleep, grades, social life. Pick two.” You can probably imagine which I picked.

It’s no secret that getting adequate sleep each night is pivotal for general well being. Many studies link sleep deprivation to serious long-term health issues such as stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and even cancer. One study by the National Sleep Foundation determined that a mere 15 percent of teens reported getting 8 ½ hours of sleep on school nights. I would easily find myself within that 15 percent.

Working for the newspaper and also being a double major doesn’t make it easy. Managing time is both a great strength and weakness of mine. I say this because I am able to dedicate myself to two different disciplines while also dedicating much of my time to the DAILY EGYPTIAN. It is a weakness because eventually, I let certain areas slip, such as general health, nutrition and even social life.

Having mono makes you tired. There is no way around it, so for the first part of my spring break, I was forced to rest — and really mean it. While lying on the couch watching Netflix may sound like the best break ever to some, to me it was torture. Knowing there were so many things I could and should probably be doing to get ahead in my classes, catch up with friends, or just enjoy being at home made it even more depressing. I tried to make the best of it. I watched the second season of HBO’s “The Newsroom,” one of my favorites, and then watched an entire season of “Scrubs” on Netflix.

In a way, getting mono during spring break was a blessing. It would have been much worse had I been diagnosed a few weeks earlier, or just after break, when I would be in the thick of projects, assignments and work. At least I had a full week to do absolutely nothing and recover. My mindset shifted from being upset to thankful.

I realized that while many of my friends were having fun in warm destinations, living it up—or drinking it up — I was genuinely happy doing nothing.

The one time I did “do” something, and traveled to Chicago for a few days, I paid the price for it. My sore throat returned, sending me back to the hospital for another round of medication. I know recovery is slow for mono, and doing too much too soon is detrimental to the process.

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I realized that I have to budget my energy, and figure out what my body can or cannot handle. It’s not a matter of laziness, weakness or whining; it’s cold hard facts. I have no choice but to change my ways, or face even more serious complications in the future.

I cannot stress enough the importance of sleep and maintaining good health habits while in school. It’s a “do as I say, not as I do” situation for sure, but hopefully others will learn from my mistakes and not let the same thing happen to them.

I’m not usually the type to read self-help blogs, but in one piece on a blog called “The Freedom Experiment,” author Marthe Hagen ends with “It’s time to do a little less, so I can live a little more.” This stuck with me. If I want to live my life, and not spend five months of the year ill, I need to do a little less, and sleep a little more.

If your motto is “You can sleep when you’re dead,” be careful what you wish for. Instead try something more like “Eat. Sleep. Be happy. Repeat.”