Stress is a part of every college student’s life. It sometimes even seems unbearable. However, since we have all been there before, here is a list of some things that have helped de-stress in the past.
1. Target your stress
Find out what is making you stressed. Go through the day in your head and try to remember how you felt along the way. See if you can pin point when you started feeling overwhelmed. Targeting your stress can help you prevent it in the future as well as handling it in the present.
2. Find what works for you
Stress can be caused by various things, which means it can be handled in various ways. The negative stress handling practices you need to avoid are procrastinating, blaming yourself, complaining about preventable events, taking it out on others and letting it consume your life. Take your stress and turn it into a positive motivator for yourself. Find things you enjoy to do that will help you feel balanced in your life.
3. Take a Break
It is okay to take some time to yourself and take a break from everything you’re doing. Taking a break will help you clear your mind and prioritize what needs done. Stretching, yoga, Netflix, online shopping and talking to friends helps you relax and not think about the tons of work you have. When you are more relaxed, you can be more productive afterwards. Maximizing productivity is the goal for every college student and being completely stressed out and trying to grind for 10 hours a day will not maximize anything, except stress.
4. Make a List
List out everything you need to do, from small things like laundry, to big things like creating a study guide for your accounting class. Listing out what needs to be done helps prioritize what is important and what can wait for later. It also helps you cross off the little things off your list faster and easier. This means you can feel like you are accomplishing a lot, which in return intrinsically motivates you more.
5. Set timers
If you have a lot to do in one day, set realistic timers for how long a task should take. If you aren’t done when the timer goes off, move on to the next thing. When you are done going through all of the timers, see how much time you have left at the end of doing everything and judge from there. Unfortunately, this comes down to self-regulation. You need to hold yourself accountable for the things you need to do. Setting timers will prevent you from taking too long on a task and not enough time on others.
There so many things you can do when you feel like life is out of control. Keep these few things in mind next time you don’t know what to do. If your stress ever gets too out of hand, consult a licensed professional at the SMU Counseling Center for free. There is no shame in asking for help.