The busiest period of my life so far was a single week last December, when I was working as a junior nurse in a hospital in Manchester and also preparing to move flats. I'm originally from Kerala, and I'd been in the UK for about a year.
That week, the hospital was short-staffed because of a winter flu outbreak, so I agreed to do three extra night shifts on top of my normal day shifts. At the same time, my tenancy was ending, which meant I had to pack all my belongings, clean the flat thoroughly enough to get my deposit back and move everything across the city. And to top it all off, my parents were flying in from India on the Friday for their first ever visit.
My days were packed. I'd finish a night shift at eight in the morning, sleep for four hours, pack boxes for three hours, and then go back to work. I remember eating dinner standing up in the hospital corridor more than once.
I managed mainly because of two things. First, I wrote everything on a big list and ticked things off, which stopped me feeling overwhelmed. Second, I accepted help: two colleagues borrowed a van and moved my boxes on their day off, which I'll never forget. Emotionally, I was exhausted and a bit tearful by the end of the week, but when I collected my parents from the airport and showed them my new flat, all the stress just melted away. It taught me I'm tougher than I think, but also that I shouldn't try to do everything alone.