The snow days at the beginning of the semester and the very early spring break has thrown some students off their game. It’s very hard to acclimate to a routine when you’ve only been able to attend a certain class once or twice (for those once a week classes), and this can leave you feeling extremely unprepared for your upcoming midterms. How many chapters have we covered, again? I’m not even sure! All this confusion and the dreary weather can cause students to sink into a state of despair where they vow they will never leave their bed—except to make macaroni and cheese, of course—so here are seven ways to combat these difficult feelings.
1. Make a to-do list and accomplish at least one thing a day.
This will help you to feel productive, which leads to feeling motivated. Don’t you feel better when you’ve accomplished something?
2. Do some exercise.
I know, I know. You just want to catch up on your favorite show, but maybe do some crunches while you’re watching. Get your blood flowing even if it’s just a little bit to raise your spirits and maybe even get you in the mood to study a little bit.
3. Try to eat healthy.
It may only take three minutes to make Ramen, but all that sodium will just add to your lethargy. Fruits and vegetables will make you feel refreshed, and protein will boost your brainpower.
4. Hang out with friends.
This may sound obvious, but many people choose to stay inside rather than trek to spend time with loved ones when the ground is covered in snow. It is important to talk to people who understand you when you’re feeling unproductive so they can help motivate you. Maybe you can even study together.
5. Don’t procrastinate, space out your homework.
It’s really easy to let the homework pile up and say you’ll get it all done at once, but when the time comes it’ll leave you feeling completely overwhelmed. If you work on it a little bit at a time you can chip away at your list slowly and feel like you’re getting everything done much faster and stress-free.
6. Don’t sleep in too late.
Sleeping in may make you feel fabulous, but once you get into the habit and can’t force yourself to wake up when you need to, you’ll only feel groggy and cranky. Waking up doesn’t mean you have to do anything productive before noon, but even just being awake will keep you on schedule and feeling more energetic than if you spend an extra hour or two under the covers.
7. If you’re feeling down, dress up.
Any time you’re feeling grumpy, sad or lonely, put on a cute outfit and do your hair and makeup, even if you’re not going anywhere. Pampering yourself shows that you think your well-being is important and will make you feel better. Plus, who doesn’t love looking good?
This time of year can be difficult, even without the added stress, so try to use these tips in your daily lives and before you know it spring will be here.