So it’s seven weeks into the semester…chances are you’re probably feeling a little stressed out now. Midterms are either still hitting hard or the grades are hitting even harder. Work have you done for more hours than you would have liked. And it seems that each day you seem to forget to do at least something.
We’ve all been there. The time just gets away from us, and the things we planned on getting done at a certain point, end up getting done later than we’d liked, putting us behind.
The bad news? This negative cloud of energy you’re feeling right now is all consuming and is bringing you down both physically and emotionally.
The good news? You’re definitely not alone. Plenty of other students are feeling this way this time in the semester not only on campus, but across the country. The best thing you can do is to have in mind a few tidbits to keep yourself sane during the chaos.
- It may be busy now, but this stressful period won’t last forever.
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It’s easy in the rough patch you’re going through to think it may never end. With more and more assignments piling up, along with more responsibilities at work, combined with other external and internal crises you may be facing, the end doesn’t seem near. I promise though, it’s coming. Whether it’s the end of midterms season, a day or two off from work, or a long weekend, you will get the needed break to catch up on everything.
Nothing lasts forever, so keep the faith that this time in the semester is just temporary. You will get a chance to just stop and take some time to yourself. And if the time isn’t made automatically, make sure to create it.
- Make sure to never take on more than you can handle.
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As young people, we all have the mindset to do as much as possible in a short period of time. We commit to multiple clubs, internships, and jobs all to do the things we love, but also with the pressure to bulk up the resume. Constant societal pressure tells us that downtime means that you could be doing more, and it’s hard to ever fully relax with this in mind. Especially with the innate habit of comparing ourselves to others.
Just be sure to communicate with your professors, extracurriculars, and bosses when things feel like they’re all too much. They will be understanding because chances are at some point they’ve felt the same way.
- Talk to someone who you can vent to at least a few times a week.
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It’s never healthy to hold in your emotions. Sometimes we think that by not saying things out loud we can hide them, and they’ll go away, but eventually situations fester and you reach your boiling point. To ensure it’s never too much of an eruption, be sure to vent to a trusted person when you’re feeling stressed.
Venting releases the internal anger you may have been holding onto, allowing you to breathe a sigh of relief that at least someone knows what you’re going through. Also, your listener will probably have some sage wisdom to offer. Whether this person is a friend, a parent, a therapist, a co-worker, or even a professor you have a good rapport with, tell someone what’s been bothering you.
- Just take a breath and always set aside some time in the day for a little TLC.
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Take a moment for yourself at least for an hour or two a day to just breathe and relax. If you don’t take the time to collect your thoughts, your brain can feel frazzled, and this leads to forgetting things. Therefore, be sure to sit down and reflect on what you’ve done and still have to do.
Also, be sure to turn your brain off at this reflection. This break may be by scrolling through social media, watching videos on your phone, binging a favorite television show, or listening to some music. It gives your brain a chance to reset itself, by focusing on something else other than what’s currently happening in your world. And while this break may seem like a threat to staying on task, you NEED it. Too much at one time will eventually lead to a brain-crash anyway, leading you to probably take more of an unexpected break that lasts longer.
Be sure in this busy time of yours to always put your physical and mental health first. Everything comes secondary, because you can’t expect to be the best version of yourself if you’re not feeling at your best.
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