We all are deep into the semester – which means deep into projects, assignments and exams. Plus keeping up with the other parts of life: clubs, sports, jobs and other responsibilities. It’s a lot to manage! With finals just around the corner, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed. So, as someone who is an older sister, a huge planner and who really doesn’t like to be stressed, here are some things that have helped me over the years.
Make a plan every day!
- This can be super, super simple. Sometimes, my plans are just texting myself a list of things I need to do (like homework, shower – yes, I do include this on my to-do lists – laundry, make calls, register for classes, etc!). By making a list to do every day, you are bringing all of the things that are due to the front of your mind, and it’s SO satisfying when you get to delete something off of the list. If you’re not a fan of texting the list to yourself, jot it down on a post-it note or make a Notes tab on your phone.
- Second pro tip: don’t just write COM 161 Homework. Write the specific assignments you have to do!
Instead of listening to music, listen to a podcast!
- Music is great, don’t get me wrong, I love music. BUT, sometimes when we get so caught up in our own heads about all of the things we have to do or all of the things we are worrying about, it helps to have to focus/passively focus on someone else’s voice. This is especially true if you listen to a podcast about something that directly applies to your current state. For example, I listened to Emma Chamberlain’s “alone but not lonely” podcast today in the midst of car troubles, lots of homework and trying to plan around my work schedule. Listening to the podcast made me zoom out of my current state and put everything into perspective.
Do one act of self-care a day (or every other day)!
- You are not a robot! You weren’t put on earth to be assigned a task, complete the task and move on to the next. You are a human (and a successful one) and you deserve to feel nurtured and cared for (especially by yourself). These things can be super simple; light yourself a candle and watch one episode of your comfort show, go visit your favorite coffee shop for a drink/pastry or go on a walk with your roommate/friends/by yourself.
- The most important part of this act of self-care is to detach from what is surrounding you while you do it. Don’t do any of these things while you do homework or scroll on social media. Put the phone, laptop and textbooks away and give yourself 30 minutes to let your mind and body rest.
Zoom out of your world!
- Despite making a to-do list for every day, you are MORE than a student, coworker or club member. It’s the beginning of November; make a cute infographic (Canva is perfect for this) with three goals for yourself for November. These can be things like eating one meal of fruits/veggies a day, deleting one app of social media (or limiting screen time on one app), calling home more often, reading one book, etc! Anything that you want to do that you keep putting off, add them to the list of three goals.
- Bonus points: get your friends to do this too. Then, you can all set the goal infographics as your lock screens and do weekly check-ins to see your progress!
Let yourself breathe!
- Stress is super stressful (redundant, but true). When we start to feel stressed, we stress ourselves out by thinking about the stress. Let it go! There is so much going on, and it’s easy to feel like you have to go-go-go all of the time. You are allowed to let yourself rest. So, hang out with those friends, watch that movie and most importantly, take a deep breath. You got this, there are so many people who believe in you, and you will finish the semester strong!
No matter the year, age or semester, there’s a lot going on in this season. If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, you are not alone. Lean on your support system and know that you’ll get through it (and you’ll come out stronger and wiser because of it). As we are becoming more and more independent, the relationship you form with yourself is super important. Trust in yourself, love yourself and take care of yourself. Finish the semester strong but most importantly believe in yourself, you’ve got this!