Give Your Self a Break
Between working 25-40 hours a week, being a full time student, balancing a social life and maybe sometimes getting some sleep, there are days when I get so stressed out about my life I could cry. I am a goal getter, an “I can do it all” type of person, and failure has never been an option for me, which is why when I got my first D on an exam the other week, I had the biggest mental breakdown ever. I never felt so mad and overwhelmed at myself before than I did when I was staring at that grade. I failed. Throughout my entire academic career, the lowest grade I ever received was a C in chemistry, and that was it. Just once. You can imagine how awful it felt to see that grade, and I beat myself up over it for days.
But then, I had a revelation. I realized, sometimes, you cannot do it all. You can’t always win, and that’s okay. I realized that I needed to de-stress, cut myself a break and think positively. But I’m sure there are a million other college kids, just like me, trying to balance life and achieve their goals. Whether its balancing sororities, clubs, work or school, stress is almost a constant emotion all college students feel on the daily. So, my advice to give yourself a break and step away from all the stress are the following 3 steps:
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BREATHE. Honestly, breathe. Give yourself 5 minutes a day, an hour, whatever you need, and breathe! Give some oxygen to that brain and give yourself a chance to reset your mind. You don’t need to meditate; you can simply take deep breaths to relax and calm yourself in your car on the way to work, before an exam or right before you sleep. Trust me, it makes a huge difference.
- THINK POSITIVELY. This has been a big change for me lately. Anyone that knows me knows I’ve always been a “negative Nancy,” but I’m really working on trying to find that silver lining in everyday and let me tell you, it has made the world of difference. It is hard to be positive about only getting 3 hours of sleep in a night or a D on an exam, but just try. Maybe you did really well on a homework assignment or maybe you’re wearing your favorite jeans that day or maybe you can drink an extra cup (or 7) of coffee when you’re sleep deprived. My favorite quote ever is “everyday may not be good, but there is something good in everyday!”
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      3. ONE DAY A WEEK, do something you love. And do not use the excuse “but I don’t have time” because you     can make time. Whether you love to hike, draw, write, play soccer, whatever it is, do it. And do it at least once a week minimum. Doing something that makes you happy gives you a second to reset and feel good about yourself. So make some time to get back to the real you!
Stress will never go away, ever. So, you just have to deal with it. Keep believing in yourself and de-stressing sometimes and always remember… everything will be okay!