While we’ve only been in school for about a month now, it’s easy to start getting overwhelmed already, especially after that long, Netflix, winter break. Check out these tips if you’re already feeling overwhelmed this semester:
Break a sweat.
Go for a run, take a short walk with a friend, or sweat it out in a fitness class (spring 2016 group fitness schedule). Science has proven that getting active relieves stress. It gives your body and your mind a break and helps you sleep better at night (something that’s especially important when you’re already lacking hours of sleep).
Get organized.
Once the semester gets going, it can be easy to become unorganized. Take a moment to reorganize – write important dates or upcoming assignments in your planner, get your backpack packed the night before classes, etc. Making a prioritized to-do list can also help you to get reorganized and make your tasks seem more manageable, as you can focus on one small thing at a time versus the collective mountain of things you might have to do.
Dress for success.
While you may be feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, don’t dress the part. Not only will others take you more seriously, but you’ll feel better – better than you would had you dressed the part in your sweatpants and oversized T-shirt. When you look good, you feel good too. People will also compliment you for dressing well, which will inherently make you feel happier and perhaps less overwhelmed.
Spend some time with some therapy animals.
I know it’s far from finals (Can the Union please have therapy dogs every week?), but take a five minute study break to pet your dog, your friend’s dog, or your house mom’s dog. If you don’t have a dog nearby, look at cute pictures of them or other animals, such as this adorable sloth who got stuck trying to cross the road. There’s a reason therapy animals are a thing, so take a break and get some puppy love.
Meditate.
Recent news has revealed someone whom scientists call the “world’s happiest man.” Why is he so happy? Well, according to Business Insider, this man, Matthieu Ricard, participated in a brain study on meditation at the University of Wisconsin for 12 years and has been meditating throughout his life for 50 years. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, do as Ricard does and meditate. Stop what you’re doing, and for 5-15 minutes, think only happy thoughts or focus on breathing in and out.
Pause for a minute.
Just take a pause in the busyness of your life to stop and look around you. Look at this campus like the first time you saw it – a magical place full of beautiful old buildings and smiling Tar Heel faces. Remember when you looked down from the quad towards Wilson and couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be able to walk around this beautiful campus every day? Don’t forget to take a look around you every once in a while to appreciate the beauty of UNC’s campus, and it might just calm you down and brighten your day. As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Here’s to feeling less overwhelmed and to enjoying another semester at one of the greatest universities in the world!