Has Virtual Learning Become Too Much?

Before I start, I’d like to make the disclaimer that I am grateful for the privileges, opportunities I have been given, and access to education. Recently, my life has become a boring, unhealthy cycle. School has become more about getting assignments done and turned in, rather than learning material and understanding what is happening in our classes. All hope for my physical health is gone, and with no time to do anything but schoolwork. 

I do nothing but school, from the time I get up to the time I go to bed, and I mean it. I can barely keep up with my assignments, much less get ahead of them, which is so anxiety inducing. My mental health has come to almost completely relying on my grades. For example, tonight I need to do a chemistry assignment, finish a French project, and write an AP World History essay. It's already 10 and I've done so much, but the workload doesn't end. This has also caused my physical health to decline; I don't have time to hydrate (there are days I'll forget to drink anything), I don't have time to go outside, do my workout, eat actual meals, and even sleep. I've even noticed my weight fluctuating so much because of all of this, changing (up and down) a good 15 pounds every week. This also causes my skin to breakout, the constant stress and lack of personal hygiene I would usually maintain has gone out of control. 

Not ONLY has all of this been negatively impacting my physical and mental health, but I don't have time to do anything I enjoy. I started a business this summer, and keeping up with it is almost too much, but it's the last thing that I can do and still enjoy while feeling productive. I love art, reading, biology, and the outdoors, especially during fall and winter, but the only thing I have time for is school. 

I don't blame the teachers personally, most just haven't bothered to adjust to virtual. I'm not only attempting to teach myself, but also doing schoolwork + "homework" + tutoring myself in the harder subjects. But I still have teachers assigning work EVERY DAY. The funny thing is, this is the same system that tells us not to get stressed, the same system telling us to exercise. “Spend at least 60 minutes outside everyday!” they tell us. This isn’t supposed to be a complaint, I just wish that we weren’t stuck in this situation, and I feel ready to break, every second of everyday.