Keep calm and carry on: it’s a phrase we hear and see all too often that we rarely put into action. In all honesty, it’s quite difficult; life moves so fast that one minute we’re buying our textbooks for the new semester, the next we’re selling them on Facebook. Time flies when you’re having fun, but it also goes by when you’ve got as much work as we do in university. Such is life, we learn, but it’s crazy nonetheless.
What do we do when the work piles up, and the anxiety builds to its ultimate high? We can’t do work because our brain has temporarily frozen, but we can’t avoid our assignments because the clock is ticking and the due date is approaching closer and closer, bit by bit. That’s what I’m pondering now, as I’m writing this relatively late at night (well, late at least for me, since I’m not quite a night owl). Here are some strategies I’ve tried out throughout my university career that may just be the key for de-stressing even just a little bit.
– Music: As a music fanatic, this is crucial for me. I cannot tell you how many different “chill” or sleep playlists I have made over the years (For example: “Sleepy,” “Sleepy Time 1,” “Sleepy Feels”- you get the pattern). Oddly enough, at this time, the most relieving music for me during this academic crunch has been either trippy pop by Zayn (see “INTERMISSION: fLoWer”), or classic jazz, like Nina Simone’s “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)”. Sure it’s unconventional, but give some of these songs it a listen, and maybe you’ll find it relaxes you too.
– Meditation: I have recently rediscovered the joy of meditation since I’ve been researching apps like Insight Timer and Calm.com for one of the many projects that have been piling up on me lately. The latter site is also useful if you just want to pretend that you’re in the middle of a gorgeous lakeside or sunny meadow for a few minutes, instead of going through a whole five-to-ten-minute practice. Meanwhile, the Insight Timer has a meditation of every kind (yes, there are some that are only chants) for every possible occasion (from test-taking anxiety-how appropriate– to rebuilding self-confidence). Either way, you can’t go wrong.
– (Further) Education: In other words, watch a TED talk. They can last anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, which is a pretty adequate study break. You get to learn something about yourself, or about the world beyond you; whatever interests you is available to you (through YouTube or through its app). Do yourself a favor and try not to watch something that’s related to your field of study – otherwise, it won’t feel like much of a break.
– SLEEP: Sure, we could all use a few extra hours to do our work; for some, that’s in the morning, and for some, that’s later in the night. But do not forget to sleep at some point! We all know that’s the most important thing we need to survive! But then again, as I said before, I’m that girl who will go to sleep at a relatively decent hour, and who has never succeeded in pulling a complete all-nighter. So, unless you have some solid arguments for staying up and working all night, I think sleep is a pretty crucial part of stress relief.
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