“Do Your Best” Broke Me

I still hear it in my head: "Just do your best." Teachers, parents, friends—everyone said it like it was a comfort. But no one ever told me what to do when my best wasn’t enough. Or when my best cost me sleep, my appetite, my sense of self. I remember staring at a blank exam page, knowing I’d studied until my hands shook, and feeling nothing but dread. I kept pushing, thinking if I just tried harder, I’d finally feel proud. But the grades came and went, and all I felt was empty. No one warns you that "doing your best" can turn into a trap. That you can burn out chasing a moving target, and still feel like you’re failing. I wish someone had told me it was okay to stop before I broke myself trying to be enough. #AcademicBurnout #GPAAnxiety #CollegeReality #Education