Let’s be honest college is the most expensive stress trip there is. Here are 11 ways to help manage stress or cut it down altogether.

1. Recognize the cause.

Usually, there’s a ton of stuff going on in our minds that makes it hard think straight. Take a moment, breathe, and pinpoint what exact thing it is that’s causing you to be stressed out.

2. Realize that everything is going to be OK.

You have a project due in 11 minutes and somehow you managed to forget about it until now. Email your professor immediately and see if there’s something that can be worked out. Some points are better than no points. And if there’s no saving this assignment, take note to do better next time. Learn from mistakes.

3. Make time for a hobby.

Knitting, writing, sewing, singing, or fan-girling over pairing ships in fan fiction, it doesn’t matter! Hobbies tend to help us refocus by alleviating anxiety. Of course, regular work should take precedence over hobbies, but have something that can help you relax.

4. Create a calendar/Learn time management.

The cause of stress usually lies in the feeling of “I have too much to do holy crap it’s all due tomorrow and I don’t have time!” Not true. There’s a way to organize each and every activity in such a way that everything gets done. If it’s a challenge, find someone who’s good planning study periods.

5. Talk to a friend.

Stress tends to build up when we’re dealing with it alone. It can be better to talk everything out in order to get an idea of what’s causing stress and how to deal with it.

6. Get enough sleep.

All-nighters are a reality in college, but they shouldn’t be frequent. Sleep is necessary in order to be able to function properly. Not enough sleep = clouded mind = stress.

7. Don’t procrastinate.

This seems like a given but it’s the number one cause of being stressed out if you ask me. I was way more tempted to take a nap rather than study solfege for three hours. Regret. If you can do it now, do it. Not later.

8. Take advantage of the mind spas on campus.

If you’re a Baldwin Wallace student, there’s a mind spa open to students. I’ve been there a couple of times and absolutely loved it. I could nap in there if I had a couple hours in the room.

9. Take a step back and breathe.

If you’re doing an assignment that you feel will never get done because you’re too busy worrying about it, take some time away from it for a while. Then come back to it once you are calm.

10. Don’t dwell on it.

The worst thing you can do is think about all the stress you have and in turn get stressed about the stress you have. Understand that the stress is there and realize that worrying about it doesn’t solve anything.

11. Allow it to happen, but don’t let it take over your day.

Stress is a slight wakeup call that we need to something immediately. It’s a part of life. It becomes dangerous when we leave it unchecked.