Believe me, I understand pressure: I’m a first-year college student who’s double-majoring, and a part of the Honors college at my school trying to graduate in three years rather than four so I can go to grad school sooner. Add in the fact that I’m involved in several student organizations and work as a campus tour guide and you quickly realize that I’m doing a thousand things all at once… And that can be unbelievably stressful, especially with exams coming up. So how do I do it? How am I so busy and still able to keep my head above water? To be honest, I ask myself that every day, and here are some of the answers I’ve come up with that may help you as well.
Multitasking
When possible, it helps to do more than one thing at once. Now, I’m not talking about big things, but small things. For example, if you’re super busy with school but you also need to clean and do laundry and you haven’t talked to your family in a week, maybe call home while you change over your laundry. Then, if you have to watch something for a class, maybe watch it while you fold laundry. When you’re stressed, even the fun things can become high pressure too. Like, I love doing my nails, but something it feels more like I have to paint my nails, rather than I want to paint my nails. This type of activity is a good thing to multitask on as well, even if it’s just working on typing up a paper between coats of nail polish.
Small Breaks
I know it can be hard to take breaks when you have so much to do, but small breaks can be helpful. You don’t have to take a full hour if you don’t have time for that, but when you feel your focus slipping or like you’ve been doing one thing for too long, maybe pause for even fifteen minutes. Watch a few TikToks, play the day’s Wordle, something like that. You can even make your breaks productive. Do you need to take a breather? Take a few minutes to set out your clothes for tomorrow or something similarly simple that you would have to do at some point anyway.
Alternate between tasks
Sometimes it can be hard to focus on one thing for too long. Even from a basic psychological level, modern attention spans aren’t what they used to be, so it’s not your fault if you can’t focus. If you have a thousand things to do, it can help keep you alert and engaged to bounce between tasks. Write a few paragraphs on one paper, then finish one section of a worksheet, then read a chapter of your textbook, then get back to your paper, and so on and so forth. This can make it feel like you’re continuing to do different things, rather than one long task, and staying productive all the while. It can also be encouraging to set those little goals for yourself. That way, when you finish that chapter of your textbook, you recognize that as an achievement, even if it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Keep Lists
Everyone says it, we all love checklists. And if you haven’t yet found the joy of checklists, I recommend checking it out! Ha! Get it? Checking? I think I’m quite funny… but I digress! Keeping to-do lists is a great way to keep yourself organized and helps to make sure you don’t forget about anything. But also, they once again give you that sense of accomplishment as you check things off your list. That’s why I recommend putting everything on your to-do list, even if it seems small. I know painting your nails may not be a huge thing you have to do, but if it’s something you want to do for the day, put it on the list. That way, you feel accomplished with every little thing you do. I also recommend you keep your checklist in plain sight. I keep a whiteboard on my wall with my to-do list and this makes it really easy to add to and check things off real quick. And I can always see it so I don’t forget about my goals and tasks for the day.
Talk to People
Finally, remember that you are not alone in your stress! So don’t be afraid to talk to people! And this can mean a variety of things. You can talk to someone about how you’re feeling if that is something that would be beneficial to you. But of course, we all process stress and express our emotions differently, so if that’s not your cup of tea, at least talk to people just to talk to them. You can genuinely talk about whatever you want, no matter how stupid or profound it may be, but that social interaction will be helpful regardless. It can just be a few words here and there to your roommate (or, if you’re like me, a theatrical, Broadway-worthy duet with your roommate), a conversation with a friend in class before the lecture begins, or a quick call home to your parents. Just make sure you’re making an effort to interact with someone. It’ll make your days run smoother, even if you’re running around all day.