I don’t know about you, but I was stressed about this spring semester before I even stepped foot on campus. With a much harder course load than last semester, I already felt behind and overwhelmed just thinking about the next fifteen weeks. As much as I knew that I shouldn’t stress about things that haven’t happened yet, I couldn’t help but feel anxious for the start of the semester. I know I’m not alone in this feeling, so I’d like to share some tips I have for decreasing stress and anxiety about school:
- Go to sleep earlier
I know it’s incredibly hard to finish all of your work and go to bed at a reasonable time, but I promise you that going to sleep earlier is so worth it. This semester, try to make more of an effort to go to bed early. Not only will you clock in more hours of sleep, you will also be able to wake up and get out of bed easier than when you go to bed at 3 am and snooze all of your alarms just to get that extra five minutes of rest. Getting a good night’s sleep will set the tone for the rest of your day: with the extra rest, you will feel more motivated to go about your day and finish your work, and you will feel less inclined to take naps, which make it harder to fall asleep the next night. I can’t emphasize enough how much less stressed I’ve been now that I’ve made it a habit to be in bed by 11 pm and wake up at 8 am.
- Organize, organize, organize
Organization will help you out so much in college. No one can keep track of every due date, exam day, or meeting time in their head without mixing things up every once in a while. I recommend purchasing a planner or using an online planner like Notion to keep track of all of your assignments, meetings, and events. I like Notion for its Weekly Agenda and Calendar, though you can customize your Notion page to your liking and include to-do lists, reading lists, and much more. The Weekly Agenda allows me to write down exactly what homework assignments and club meetings I have for each day of the week, while the Calendar lets me keep track of important exam dates, events, and appointments. Having a planner and keeping track of all of your homework due dates and exam dates makes it easy to prioritize what assignments you have to complete first and prevent your mind from becoming overwhelmed keeping track of everything you have to do.
- Exercise
When you’re feeling stressed, the gym is a great place to take your mind off school for a moment and release some steam. You can run on the treadmill or walk on an incline (the 12-3-30 workout is a great start), or you can cycle, lift, or climb stairs on the Stairmaster machine. If you don’t love the idea of going to the gym, just going on a walk around campus alone or with a friend can be a relaxing break from schoolwork and a good reminder that there is more to life than being stressed about homework.
- Set aside time for yourself
Similar to tip #3 about exercising to decrease stress, make sure that you are setting aside time in your day to just relax and recharge. While this could mean exercising or going for a walk, it could also be reading a book for a few minutes for bed, taking a break every 30 minutes to go on your phone, or painting your nails just for fun. No matter what you do, make sure to fully step away from your work and focus on something not school related for a few minutes. This will allow you to return to your work feeling less overwhelmed and ready to tackle anything.
Always remember, you got this and everything will be okay! :)