College can be really stressful.
But in all seriousness, college marks a time in our lives when we encounter a lot of challenging situations and it can be overwhelming. For one, you are dealing with classes that are way harder than high school. [Thanks high school for giving us all that super useful busy-work to prepare us for what college professors are like. Not. ] On top of that, there are club applications, club meetings, working out, making friends, dating, creating relationships with professors, volunteering, jobs, eating, cleaning (yes, you should do that), sleep, Netflix, and let’s be honest – some more Netflix.
While it is easy to get caught up in the never-ending list of things to do and you may feel like you want to give up, there are a lot of strategies to help you cope with what you are feeling. For starters, know you are not alone. At some point or another everyone feels like his or her life is out of control. I know it is easy to feel like you are the only one not pulled together, but trust me no one gets through college without some self-doubt and stress. People want to appear on top of things, because they don’t want to be perceived as weak. In all honesty though, it takes a stronger person to admit their feelings of stress and seek help, than it does to hide your emotions.
So congratulations on taking the first step and admitting that yea – you are a normal person and sometimes feel the pressure taking its toll. Now that you know you are not alone, here are some tips on how to relieve the anxiety you are feeling
- Exercise
- Talk to your professors
- Listen to music that makes you feel like Beyoncé
- Listen to calming music (think yoga music)
- Meditate
- Talk it out with a friend
- Take an hour to do something you love
- Treat yourself (pedicure anyone?)
- Write in a journal
But now you are thinking, sometimes I feel in control but my friends/classmates/peers make me freak out. Unfortunately this does happen. You feel like you have your study schedule under control, your loving your professors, and you like the clubs you’ve joined, but then all the sudden someone points out that they think that they think they are going to fail an upcoming test and you quickly join in on their panic attack. In the moment you just want to pull a Christina and demand immediate medication.
Although this may be tempting, there is an easier solution. Remove yourself from this friend during situations that may cause stress. I know this may be a challenge because we all love our friends, but this is the best option. Whether it is a friend who constantly panics about tests or a friend who constantly brings up negative things in their life, or reminds you of the negative things in your own life, it is not healthy to allow someone to bring down your mood.
So the next time you feel yourself getting worked up, try out one of the strategies above. And if it’s your friend imitating the stress just calmly say, “I love you and want to talk to you, but I need to take five for me.” Your friend will get that you need space in order to stay calm without getting their feelings.
Photo Sources
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3qn5c4
http://www.celebquote.com/movie/10-things-i-hate-about-you-1999
http://www.organisemyhouse.com/how-to-tackle-a-never-ending-to-do-list/