Many of you may have forgotten about me as a columnist, because after writing only a single column I needed to take a break. Today I’m back, hopefully for good, and I’m opening with an honest conversation about taking a break at Vanderbilt. Read this not only as a story of my experiences, but also as a call for you to take a break when you need one.

It was the start of my junior year, and I was burning out too fast for it to only be September. Rather than continuing to burn out, I decided to skip writing a column for a couple of weeks. I wrote to Sarah, the lovely student in charge of the Hustler, and told her that I needed this time and she was deeply understanding and empathetic. In doing this, I took my first intentional break at Vanderbilt. Rather than waiting until November and having a breakdown like I did last year, I made the conscious decision to put myself and my mental health first. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, my break lasted more than a couple of weeks, but I’m back now, and that’s what matters.

Putting yourself first is so important that they review it every time you get on a plane. Put on your oxygen mask first, then help others. It’s my assertion to you, the overinvolved, overextended students of Vanderbilt, that it IS okay to put on your oxygen mask first. Take a break when you need it. It’s easy to say that you’ll take a break after this panel, after that event, and to continue pushing the break further and further from you, as we know there’s a stereotype of Vanderbilt students procrastinating. But this is one thing that can’t be procrastinated.

Take a break when you need it. Your friends will understand, and even if it doesn’t seem like it, so will your peers within your student orgs. The idea of taking a break at Vanderbilt seems preposterous, but that’s a toxic culture that we can combat by taking breaks when we need them, and supporting our friends and peers when they need them. Consider this a call to combat the toxic stress-culture of Vanderbilt, beginning with yourself.