It goes without saying that while college is fun and exciting, it can often be incredibly stressful. I’d be lying if I said I don’t have a hard time balancing academics, time with friends, and time to myself. Today alone I had three classes, two groups to plan projects with, and a play rehearsal to attend and I barely had enough time to eat meals in between things! Self-care and stress management can become difficult to account for when you have a hectic schedule, but it is possible. Here are 4 quick and easy tips for implementing self-care into your busy life.
Tip #1: At the beginning of each week, make sure to schedule all your assignments, meetings, and due dates into your planner.
Whenever I hear about an important date, I immediately schedule it into my Google calendar, but I don’t always remember to transfer them to my daily planner or the calendar in my room. A good way to stay organized and minimize stress throughout the week is to block out a time to read back over your syllabi and figure out what needs to get done for each class that week and when.
Tip #2: Make sure to eat three meals a day and get a decent night’s worth of sleep.
While there are some instances in which staying up late to finish an assignment is inevitable, you should never pull an all-nighter. It will only leave you stressed out and overly tired the next day. Instead, prioritize assignments and learn your concentration limits to figure out what you can and can’t accomplish in a day. Also, I know it can get tough to do so, especially when you don’t have a lot of down time in between classes, but please make sure to stop by the dining hall or any other on campus restaurant to grab something to eat.
Tip #3: When you get a chance to, make sure to clean or organize part of your dorm.
You don’t have to clean the entire room but doing something as small or as simple as clearing your desk or reorganizing your makeup can make a huge difference.
Tip #4: Block out time to hang out with friends or call your family.
It can get difficult to find an opportunity to do so, but it is always possible to make one. Talking to or spending time with your loved ones is important and can make you feel a lot better if you’ve had a hectic or busy day. Even just grabbing coffee with someone helps.
Tip #5: Download mindfulness apps or apps that have short guided meditations.
Many of these kinds of apps offer five-minute breathing exercises, which are perfect for hectic schedules. My favorite one to use is Headspace, and I find that when I use it, I feel a lot calmer and more relaxed the rest of the day.
Take care and start your semester off on the right foot. Scheduling in self care now will pay off in the long run!