prioritizing health

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on a new topic daily, and send it to your inbox. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! you reading this is keeping me accountable, so thank you for that. as a treat, i drop cool resources/opportunities at the end. 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: prioritizing health 🥒

i’m sitting in bed with a pounding headache, and this topic comes to mind.

i just got home from a trip with my family after a very long, eventful day. i had a whole bunch of work blocked off until midnight to get done, but i felt little to no hesitation switching things around so i can catch up on sleep instead.

my health takes higher priority than anything on my to-do list, but of course, i am privileged enough to be able to prioritize my health in the first place.

i used to power through work while being sick, or continue playing in soccer games despite the aching from my unhealed ankle. i treated my body poorly, and it’s the same for so many people: grind until burnout.

an unhealthy body is like a fossil fuel. the energy, passion and ideas are used up in one go, and can’t be renewed. 🔥

a healthy body is like a form of renewable energy: providing value and love to the world over and over again.

i internalized: “once i have a sustainable body, i can build a sustainable future.”

in my first 2 years of high school, i had so many different ideas for projects and research, and i took them all on without leaving room for my sleep, consistent eating or time outside. in the end, none of those projects came into fruition or lasted longer than a few months, because i was so tired.

if i want my work to be long-lasting and impactful, i have to make that commitment to my health first. 🕺

i keep myself accountable with my health primarily through habit tracking. the most notable habits being: getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night, drinking 2 litres of water, exercising for at least 30 mins and reading 10+ pages of a fun book every day.

blocking time in for health is just as important as those chunks reserved for meetings and work.

my health and well-being are a top priority, and i’ve noticed recently that i get equally peeved when i don’t drink enough water for the day as when i haven’t completed a specific work-related task.

this is an indicator for myself that i really have placed these two aspects of my life at equal importance, and it’s not just something i preach.

what are your top 3 priorities?

cool finds of the day 🔍️