New year, new me. Right? With all the last minute resolutions we promise ourselves that we are going to keep; very few – sometimes even none – survive. Especially as college students, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain academic success, social activities, sports commitments, and internship applications; much less New Year resolutions. We try too much to add unrealistic tasks such as “stop eating junk food all year” or “workout out everyday even when you are near death”. The point of new years resolutions isn’t to change who we are, but to challenge us bit by bit to discover more about our strengths and improve our character. So here are some tips to live a (hopefully) stress-free college semester.
Utilize your Planner.
Planners are a great way to keep track of your social life and academic responsibilities and there are so many options to choose from! The fun patterns and designs, costumed with inspirational quotes or stickers, make you want to stay organized and put them to use. It is important to utilize your planner early in the year so that pretty soon it will become second nature. It’s wonderful having all of your thoughts and plans for the week written out so you can physically see all you have to accomplish instead of mentally trying to integrate all of the little things to monitor from day to day.
Tidy Room, Tidy Mind.
Everyone, especially myself, always struggles to keep your room nice and clean. Chiefly me, having two other roommates; all three of us grapple with keeping our room presentable- we constantly find ourselves throwing clothes on the ground and finding other nooks and crannies where we can stash random items. A good objective to accomplish on a day where you don’t have to many tasks is to tackle at least one part of your room. Empty out one area of your room, say one drawer, closet or desk for example and work from there. Having organization really does help you have a clearer and less stressful mind, particularly when coming home with a pile of work to do. It is satisfying to know you don’t have tackle your space as well.
No Pain, No Gain.
Instead of aiming for running three miles everyday for the rest of the school year, pick and choose different workout routines to help develop different parts of the body. The app SWORKIT is a resourceful (more importantly FREE) tool to help you stay in shape if you don’t feel like trenching to Fowler through rain or snow. You can choose different categories from yoga to core, upper and lower strength, and even design your own workouts to choose from that will best suit you for that day.
(Dark) Chocolate Therapy.
Dark chocolate has been proven to help reduce stress. Something my roommates and I do whenever we got to the Pig, or Wal-Mart–when we really are feeling crazy – is pick up a pack of Hershey’s dark chocolate morsels. They are a good late night snack to munch on and will last a while. If you ever get up to the Target in Chattanooga they have many more dark chocolate coated-candy options, including BarkThins, which are yummy dark chocolate-covered pretzels.
NamaSTAY (in bed).
When we think of meditating the usual image that comes to mind is sitting crisscross applesauce, eyes closed, and the repetitive “ummm.” However, mediating can be a good 10-minute break from a rigorous day of studying or sports. The app, Simply Being ($1.99), lets you choose from an array of soothing music, equipped with voice instructions leading you to a calm, peaceful place.
Good Night’s Rest.
This bit is easier said than done. Although we tell ourselves this each and every night, it is very important to our body, and mental capacity, to get as much sleep as possible.
Keep a Positive Attitude.
It is important to always keep a positive outlook on any situation you are given. Whether you have three tests in one day, a huge presentation due, or a formal, it is best to go into any possible situation feeling good about yourself and the outcome. Just remember everyone is going or has gone through it at some point.
Treat yo self.
Lastly, but most importantly, is too reward yourself for achieving your goals. This is something I struggled with most last semester, but it is highly important to put yourself first, even above school sometimes. Whether it be for the achievement you made in one day or for the week. Take time for yourself. A great way I have found is to indulge in adult coloring books, reading for fun on my own, or even watching Netflix.
Remember that staying organized and living a stress free college semester is to benefit you! Don’t make promises you can’t keep, but try to challenge yourself to become the best you can be this semester! Remember: YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT!