Finals are quickly approaching, you’re securing summer-plans, finishing up semester-long projects, and still trying to make it to the gym twice a week…stress is inevitable! Social psychologists define stress as thinking that your current obligations far exceed your mental and physical capabilities. Basically, it means that you’ve tricked yourself into believing that you just can’t do it. Well have no fear, HerCampus is here to provide you with three anti-stress strategies for spring and beyond!
1. Self-Love
Feeling stressed? Quick, drop everything you are doing and find the nearest bottle of nail polish. Yes, I am telling you to abandon all of your responsibilities for an hour (or two) and show yourself some L.O.V.E. Paint your nails, exfoliate your skin, take a steamy shower or a warm bubble bath, curl your hair, or even do some yoga poses. All of these tasks require you to slow down, and focus on one central task, therefore giving your mind a break from all of those stressful thoughts. Plus, you’re going to feel great afterwards, and look amazing too!
Here are some great “self-love” products:
2. Organize, Organize, ORGANIZE!
This seems like it would be self-explanatory, right? Well, it’s actually not. Organizing does not simply mean writing down all of your assignment due dates, internship application deadlines, your best friend’s birthday, and your biology exam on your personal planner. Yes, it is important to write those things down, but take it a step further by planning how and when you expect to complete each step of those projects, applications, papers, etc. For example, plan to have 3 pages of your 9-page sociology paper completed by April 7. Then plan to have 3 more pages completed by April 14. Finally, write down that the final 3 pages will be written by April 20th, which is five days before your deadline. This will eliminate the anxiety of wondering when you’re going to complete the task, and allow you to focus on what’s most important: the quality of the work.
As you know, having an actual planner is KEY to being an organized student. You can never go wrong with Lilly Pulitzer! Her adorable agendas simply inspire organization, right?
3. Find your Flow
What do you love to do? What task can you “get lost in?” Have you ever been doing something for hours, and not even realized it because you were so focused? If so, you have found your flow. Take a break from whatever is stressing you out, and go into your state of flow. For some people, this may be shopping, for others it may be writing, blogging, reading, exercising, cleaning, online shopping, or binge-watching shows on Netflix. It doesn’t matter what you do, the point is that you are doing it. Flow reduces stress in two keys ways. When you get lost in a task, your mind gets a (well-deserved) break from stress and anxiety. Secondly, whenever you decide to return to your school work, internship application, etc., you will feel mentally refreshed and able to focus on the task at hand. It’s a win-win situation!
Happy Anti-Stressing!
Sources:
Essie nail polish, photo courtesy of walgreens.com
Apricot Scrub, photo courtesy of target.com
Body Wash, photo courtesy of bathandbodyworks.comLily Pulitzer Planner, photo courtesy of blog.lillypulitzer.com