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Life

5 Ways I Manage Stress While Applying to Psychology Grad Schools

Gabby Diefenderfer
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

For many psychology undergrads, fall is application season. Grad school is a huge step in a future psychology career, so applications require a lot of time and dedication.

I’ve been organizing, researching, and carefully working on my applications throughout the semester. However, as due dates quickly approach, it’s easy to feel increasingly overwhelmed. Even though I’ve been preparing for this time of my life for years, it still feels extremely surreal and, well, downright unpredictable.

To maintain my focus and consistency in the applications I’ve already spent so much time and effort on, I’ve been using these five techniques to get through the last stages of the process. I want to share them with other prospective students who may be going through the same feelings while applying to psychology programs.

Here are some of my favorite ways to remain mindful despite this rather stressful time!

making time for hobbies

Unsurprisingly, I’ve had much less free time when faced with something as crucial as grad school application deadlines. Instead of filling my free hours with mindless activities, I motivate myself by doing things I love! 

This year, I’ve made a goal to read 50 books, not including the required reading for any of my classes. Reading is one of my main hobbies and my favorite way to spend my downtime, especially at night.

It’s much healthier than using your phone before sleeping! I found that this really helps me get a good night’s rest and leaves me feeling recharged for a new day of work. Whatever your hobbies may be, it’s super important to make sure to balance work with things you enjoy.

practicing mindfulness

This isn’t exactly a new routine for me. I try my best to make mindfulness a part of my daily life. However, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t amped up the effort I put into being mindful these past few weeks.

When tasks pile up, and things feel overwhelming, I step back and practice some mindfulness techniques. My favorite has always been guided meditation. There are so many free and quick (or long, if you need it) guided meditations on sites like YouTube, making this habit accessible as long as you have a device. 

Don’t forget the benefits of mindfulness! It’s a powerful tool for staying focused, calm, and being your best self.

Communicating with support systems

Another important (yet often forgotten) reminder in busy times is that you are absolutely not alone. Sometimes, it can be easy to feel otherwise, especially when you don’t know anyone going through the same process as you. Even if you have other peers applying to grad school, each program is entirely different. 

Although not everyone in my life can relate to what I’m working on right now, I still find comfort in letting them know what’s going on. Opening up to the people around you is a great way to keep them updated and remain connected in a period of your life where you probably won’t have as much time to socialize as usual.

Even if I make a brief phone call to my family back home, this communication helps me stay grounded and reminds me that I have support all around me!

Taking my work outside

As the weather cools, there’s no better place to be than outside, breathing in the fresh fall air. While preoccupied with my regular academics and future applications, I’ve been spending much more time inside.

As someone who always needs a change of scenery, I find it really useful to regularly remove myself from the same indoor environments and change it up! Taking a serene walk and bringing my laptop outside completely revamps my motivation, and it serves as a great break, leading to a fresh new headspace when I continue my work.

Remaining excited about the future

One of my main sources of motivation through the application process has been envisioning the near future. Life is very unpredictable. I don’t know exactly where I’ll be going to school or what program I’ll be attending a year from now, which makes it hard to visualize what things will look like. However, I find it fun to let my mind run free and imagine my life’s different paths! 

Creating a vision board is a unique tool for picturing the future you want for yourself. Not to mention, it’s also a great way to unwind and let your creativity out. I like to follow the classic vision board route: cutting out pictures from magazines and pasting them together on a blank piece of cardstock.

This isn’t the only avenue, though. See where your creativity takes you! Any form of self-expression, such as writing, painting, doodling, or even dancing, can mold together with your future daydreams and sustain the motivation you may need!

These five techniques are doing a great job getting me through the grad school application process. It requires a lot of dedication and time, so these simple methods have been pushing me forward without causing me to lose my concentration.

I wish everyone applying to psychology grad programs luck, and I’m looking forward to the future for all of us!

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Gabby Diefenderfer is a staff writer at Florida State University’s Her Campus chapter. She writes for all categories, including culture, lifestyle, and campus. Outside of Her Campus, Gabby served as the editor-in-chief of the FSU Collegiate Merchandising Association’s blog from 2023-2024, managing a team of writers covering fashion, wellness, and pop culture articles. She is currently a senior at Florida State University, double majoring in Psychology and Creative Writing. Gabby’s biggest passions are mental health awareness and music. You can find her playing piano, guitar, or reading a cozy book when she’s not studying. She’s also a huge Lana del Rey fan.