Life Inside a Pressure Cooker

The other day I walked into my kitchen and saw a pressure cooker sitting on the table. I didn't think anything of it initially, yet it became hard to ignore once it started to make loud, unbearable noises while I was trying to do my homework. All of the sudden, the lid popped off and the food went everywhere.

In the past, I have seen the pressure cooker as a reliable source holding my dinner. I never expected it to actually explode like that.

Don't be the pressure cooker that holds so much that it can no longer take it.

As a student in today’s society, it is so easy to get caught up in the pressure of everything around us. Academics. Extracurriculars. Relationships. Sports. We are expected to complete everything on our plates, yet we still never feel like enough. We are expected to have it all figured out. We are taught that balancing as much as we can is the only recipe for success.

No matter how much you tell yourself the pressure is manageable, even a pressure cooker needs to find a way to release steam.

Do what you love. No matter how big or small the act, find something that can release that pressure. For me, I can release my pressure simply by talking to the people I love, going to the gym, or even just admitting to myself that I am overwhelmed, but I can face my challenges head on and I will be okay. Making a conscious effort to do something small each day that releases the pressure has truly made a difference in my life, slowly but surely.

Don't let yourself get consumed by the pressure cooker we live in. In a world where the pressure builds and you never feel like enough, find a way to release your steam, because if you don't, you may just burst.

- Noura Alsheik, Board Member