OUGD602: There is More to Life Than Graphic Design

Recently I was doing a project, and this came to me - there is more to life than graphic design.
It is something that has been said on the course from early on and I did not believe it, I could not believe it, I was so engrossed in doing work, looking at work, thinking about work. But now I'm in my 3rd year and spent the Summer working in an agency, I have a completely different attitude towards it now.
I still go to many events, I still enjoy designing - even more really, it's definitely on the brain a lot and I continue to work hard and learn more all the time. So what's changed?
The past two years on the course I was obsessed with doing work all the time, everyday. However, this was so unproductive because I would procrastinate a lot as I allowed myself to have 24 hours to do work. When working 9-5:30, I realised that I achieved so much more work in that time, as well as having a proper dinner break, because I knew I had to create x amount of work within that time frame. Having that deadline every day made me more motivated to work towards it. I would make sure I had a proper breakfast in the morning because I knew I wouldn't be able to eat until dinner again, which would give me more energy, and I was able to enjoy myself in the evening because I knew I couldn't do any more work. I was SO HAPPY! I loved it, I loved doing work, I loved working fast, I loved that I had time to myself! I could have other hobbies, cook proper meals, go out with my friends again and achieve more than I had ever been doing beforehand.
It seems obvious now, but I was putting so much pressure on myself to be the perfect student I forgot that is more to life than doing graphic design. And, when I look around me I think of more projects to do, or illustrations to draw or problems to solve, because I am taking in my surroundings and doing more with my life. This is much better than previously when I would scroll through Behance and Pinterest and Dribbble and Typeverything and Designspiration and become down looking at all of the other great work people were doing. I think it is great to look at what other people are achieving, but not to the point when you are constantly looking at it. At the end of the day, design is about solving problems for people, and I'm not going to do that staring at a screen all day - it is important to experience what everyone else is experiencing to create better responses to projects and know what people want.
I feel now my lifestyle is much healthier, I go to the gym daily, cook regular, proper meals a day and have a more regulated timeframe when I do my work. I have been constantly tired the past two years and I didn't realise how much my diet was affecting my energy levels and productivity, and now I feel fresh everyday and I'm able to do work everyday without feeling tired. I feel I am getting a lot closer to having that work/life balance and I feel the benefits of doing this. I couldn't have imagined not doing work all the time before, but I see how destructive that was now.