On Edge at the End of the Week?
Do you find yourself mentally or emotionally exhausted at the end of the week? It can be hard to manage how you’re doing when you’re trying to balance the weight of school, social life, and self-discovery. As we go about our daily schedules and plans, it can be hard to juggle the truth of what you’re really feeling within. To continue to maximize our college experience it’s essential to understand ways you can handle stressors.
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1. Check in with Yourself Daily
If you’re feeling completely depleted at the end of the week, begin to think about what is causing your stress. Is it the new social setting you’re in? A difficult assignment? When you start to check in with what is causing stress it can help you specifically target your issue. Be honest with yourself and where you are at now. This way you can understand your needs at the given moment.
Ex: If you’re feeling overwhelmed with assignments, take a deep breathe. Find a center of gratitude. After you find a peaceful place, try to plan out a schedule of when you’re going to complete each assignment by setting specific times. Also aim for accountability with your friend so they can check in on you as well.
2. Set Clear Boundaries
Sometimes you can get excited about the fun events on campus or staying up late with your roommates. Couple nights are fun in the moment, however, without moderation you can easily find yourself in a rut. Understand your main priorities for the week. Set out a main goal you want to accomplish and set clear boundaries around that.
Ex: To set clear boundaries, ask yourself daily questions: Is this really important? Is this contributing to my overall well-being?
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3. Have a Day Off
When you’re constantly on the go, life can feel suddenly piled up. All this internalized energy can provoke mood swings or isolation. It’s important you find time to have mental recovery. You can do this through active hobbies such as running or watching your favorite Netflix show. Do something that brings you joy and you can destress without worrying about the next step.
Ex: Plan out a fun day with your friends and set an itenary to go on the weekend.
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4. Release Any Form of Negativity
Negativity can look like questioning a friendship or bad sleeping habits. Once you understand these stressors you can better understand how to release negativity. Begin by seeing the root of the cause such as how it is making you initially feel. After work on strategies to confront these issues with proactive intentionality.
Ex: Maybe a person you’re with makes you feel constantly negative. Confront the person about what you’re feeling or slowly distance yourself by meeting new people.
The College Experience
When you’re in college, it can be hard to fully detect all your stressors. At the moment you can seem fine, but towards the end of the week or the quarter you can feel all these unwanted emotions. It’s best to take little steps to confront the stress that you’re dealing with. When you put your best foot forward you’re enabling a space for positive growth and mental recovery.