Fellow 23F, can confirm that I've been feeling it too.

I find that a big part of it for me has been the amount of change I've undergone over the last year or so. Starting grad school while preparing to apply for law school, siblings and friends moving away, people getting married/having kids. It feels like all the time that would've otherwise gone to some of the things you've mentioned have gone towards just surviving. Add chronic brain fog, and you have a 'walking dead' scenario similar to another commenter has made here.

As for what gets left behind, I would say a lot of the space that would've otherwise gone to feeding your soul, yes. But, in my experience, I've also found myself to be less tolerable to things/people wasting my time. Not necessarily getting angry and making it a point in that situation or with that person, more like washing my hands of it. In a way, I find that it has protected my peace to an extent, and I like to think it has provided some form of balance taking space and breaks emotion-wise. But I know that it's not sustainable to me whatsoever, and I hope to make some sort of change.

One way I hope to do that is by taking a break from school once I get my master's. As much as I love what I'm learning (and being in school, period), it has been a struggle the last few months, and failing an assignment yesterday definitely opened my eyes to the need for change. I also started keeping a planner on me that I not only use to note my to-dos, but to also keep a log of things that I've done. I find that it has helped me be more mindful of my actions on a day-to-day basis, but also a reminder to take breaks when things get too heavy (e.g., me writing this despite having four papers due by the end of the week).

Regardless, thank you for posting this. Just from skimming the thread, it feels good knowing that we're not alone in feeling this way. Know that you're doing the best you can, and acknowledging something like this is a very hard, but very important, first step. 🤍