You’re stressed. The end of the semester is here and all at once everything is due. You are drowning in group projects, papers and even small homework assignments feel like a monumental effort. If you’re anything like me, the mention of one more obligatory meeting or chat makes you feel like you could cry or scream. All you want is for the semester to be over, the torture to stop and to crawl into your bed to watch Netflix. You want all of this right now, too bad because that’s not how time works, unfortunately. You have to suffer through these last few weeks, drag yourself to that 8 AM and try to keep your grasp on some semblance of a social life. You can do it. You might not think you can get your stress under control but there are tons of practical and easy methods to help.
Take time for you-
It can be hard to set aside time for yourself to relax when you have 20 different things you need to do. But sometimes doing nothing at all can be the best thing for you. When you feel like your brain is turning to mush from that paper you’re writing, take a step back and consider what you -want- to be doing instead. And do that thing. But don’t do whatever it is for too long, just enough to clear your mind and get some space from your task. So watch that Netflix episode without guilt, go grab coffee with a friend or bake yourself those cookies you’ve been craving. Because you have earned it.
Exercise-
I know, I know. The last thing you want to do is add one more to-do to your massive list. But hear me out, exercise has a ton of mental and physical benefits. You need those benefits more than ever when you’re in the pressure cooker of the last few weeks of school. Exercise can give you a much-needed break from staring at a screen and will help clear your mind from that bio you’ve been staring at for the last hour. It also helps boost mood and productivity. You don’t have to go run a marathon or go pump some iron in the gym to get the same effect though. Just a nice, brisk walk for 35 minutes will do it. Take a friend if you want (kill two birds with one stone and socialize a little) or just enjoy the silence.
Be kind to yourself-
This can be a hard one because there is so much expectation and pressure during this time of year for college students. One of the best things you can do for yourself in times of stress is to remember that the way you’re feeling and the pressure on you will end. The semester will be over in a few weeks. Be patient with yourself, don’t set the bar so high. And if you can’t meet those expectations that you have in your mind then don’t beat yourself up over it. You are only human.
You aren’t just your grades, you are an entirely wonderful person who is not defined by your GPA. Take care of yourself and the rest will follow.
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