College is always a hard transition, as a current college freshman I completely know how it feels. It can cause high levels of stress and anxiety that you feel might never go away. Trust me….
It SUCKS! (It more than sucks, I wish there was a better word to describe it but you know what I mean.)
Dealing with these emotions can be draining not only physically, but emotionally. Don’t you worry take a deep breath! We will get through it together. These five simple steps will make your everyday life as a college student much more easy.
1. The first thing is something we all need…sleep!
It’s always tempting to stay up late and binge watch netflix with friends, or catch that new episode of American Horror Story, or even cram last minute for that exam you have at 7:30am. But before doing all of this stop and take a moment to think, there’s always the weekend to do these things sleep is much more important. I know how tempting it is with your laptop right at your fingertips but, fight the urge! The more sleep you get the more your body will thank you. It will help you think and act much more clearly making your day that much easier. When you lack sleep it makes even the most simple task seem like it takes all your energy to perform it. So put that laptop down, finish your studying early and go to bed!
2. This one is simple but sometimes we need a little reminder…breathe!
Breathe. You might be saying, this girl is crazy I breathe all the time, why would I need to? Believe me this helps more than you realize. If you take a deep breath in through your nose for 10 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds and then breathe out your mouth slowly, it’s like time stops and you can focus on you. I recommend doing it as long as you need until you feel de-stressed or calm. It helps take your mind off the things around you and recenter yourself.
3. Next, distract yourself!
Whether it be reading, writing, or blasting your favorite music distracting yourself is one of the things I do the most. Pick your favorite thing to do, take a break from whatever is causing your stress and just do it. Know that taking a break and getting a little off track is okay! I recommend getting a Wreck This Journal and even making a playlist of music you love on Spotify. Having these ready to go will make it easy when you need to be distracted ASAP.
(You can get a Wreck this Journal here: https://www.amazon.com/Wreck-This-Journal-Keri-Smith/dp/039953346X and Spotify is free!)
4. You can even try exercise!
I know being active isn’t everyone’s favorite thing, but it is so worth it (I know personally, I would love to eat a pint of ice cream curled up in bed in a blanket.) Exercise allows your body to release endorphins like dopamine which will make you feel good! Use your school’s gym to your advantage- especially if it is free. Taking a good long run on the treadmill or elliptical can help you let it all out and leave you feeling better than ever. If you don’t want to leave the comfort of your home or dorm try Youtube. I personally like yoga or meditation videos like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUGOgn3Llrw . This not only helps you stay fit but helps keep you calm and stress free.
5. Lastly, stay organized!
I know it’s easy to say “Oh I don’t need to write that homework assignment down, I’ll remember” or “I’ll get around to it later, even though it’s due tonight.” Fear not procrastinator I have the thing for you, it’s called a calendar. They’re cheap, easy to find and help so much. You can put all your assignments like papers, homework and tests in a place you will constantly see it. You’ll be able to keep on top of everything and not have to second guess when a due date is or when you should study. Even plan out workouts, trips to the mall, or when you want to clean your room. By putting it down you are more likely to follow through with your plans instead of pushing them back. This eliminates stress so you don’t have to go searching to find five different syllabi or try and cram everything you need to do in one day stressing you out more than you need to be.
These five tips may seem simple but they will help reduce your stress and anxiety more than you realize. Whether you’re a college freshman or even a senior these tips can help anyone at any point in their college careers.
You deserve to have stress free semesters and enjoy college life, before you know it it’ll be gone in the blink of an eye. Don’t let stress take that time away from you.
You can do it!