Newton’s third law of motion

Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. However, I would like to counter that that law does not apply to every situation for there is always an unknown variable that can send us spiraling down a path we would have never expected.

When the pandemic hit, I was stripped of my social circle and was thrust into an unknown world I did not know how to navigate. Online class is now a distant memory but I can still vividly remember that feeling of emptiness and isolation. The feeling of having no one present to support me. The feeling of emptiness as yesterday repeats itself. The feeling of bleakness and weariness because I could not break the curse of Groundhog Day. Every day I had a deadline to complete, and it multiplied as I finished one task after another. Stress piled up, and as a teenager in eighth grade, you don’t know how to deal with it.

School never taught us how to deal with the stress of assignments and deadlines. It never taught us to seek help when problems pile up into a mountain so tall you can’t see its peak. As a result of this, my sleep schedule became messed up, and I learned to take comfort in the quietness of the night. The night gave me comfort the day could never give, because unlike in the day when I’m a puppet of society, I could freely express myself at night. I could watch YouTube videos, draw, play games, and read books. I wasn’t chained to my study table watching lectures. I was doing what I wanted to do. It felt gratifying to do what I wanted but I knew that this was all short-lived because like Cinderella, once the clock strikes midnight, the magic disappears and I have to face tomorrow.

After face-to-face classes were announced, I felt relief and fear. I felt relieved that the prison that held me captive for two years would now be nonexistent. However, I felt the fear of the unfamiliarity that would ensue. It’s been two years since I socialized with my peers, could I still act normal? Could I still follow the deadlines without being notified? Could I go back to the life that no longer feels like mine from two years ago?

The answer is no, because ironically change is the only constant in the universe. I was able to somewhat socialize with my peers, but every interaction left me with a mind that had more thoughts than before. I overthought what other people thought of me and sought the validation and love I could not get from my family, now far away, from my peers.

Deadlines were a hassle to take note of, but it was manageable. Funny enough, social media helped me with my work schedule. Overworking yourself has become romanticized in the 20th century, everyone wanted to become the next Rory Gilmore, and that included me. I adored watching people spend countless sleepless nights perfecting assignments and studying. I wanted to be them, I wanted to be the person who spent multiple nights studying to get a perfect score.

I poured my heart and soul into school to the point that I became an empty husk, except this time I had no one to blame but myself. My burnout consumed all the energy in my body, and even if I were to force myself to study, my burnout would haunt me and would erase the knowledge I gained from my memory. Newton’s third law of motion says that our action will produce an equal result, yet my test scores mocked my late-night study sessions. It mocked the days I spent studying while my friends had fun just going through the motions of everyday life. Was I doing something wrong? I was doing what everyone else did on social media, so why couldn’t I produce the same result? Why couldn’t I get the score I wanted?

I eventually had to come to terms with the fact that I needed to rest. Rest was a luxury that I could not picture back in 10th grade because I was enraptured and enticed by the toxic work-life balance social media made me believe in. In fact, rest is not a luxury, it is a need that every human being needs in order to survive. So if you’re a student or a person who romanticizes overworking, this is your reminder to rest and recharge.

Time moves forward and never looks back. While it is important to have a good work ethic, it is equally, if not more important, to rest. Newton’s third law of motion applies to objects, not people. As your life continues to move forward, you’ll start to miss the freedom of youth. The freedom when your only responsibility was being in school, not taxes and work. Live your life a little and don’t let your teenage years slip through your fingers.

Lesrae Mikah, 16, is a Philippine Science High School student.