College is one of the most exciting parts of one's life. It is filled with new friends, experiences, and responsibilities, but it is also filled with stress. Coming into college is a rush of new things, and trust me, you will want to try everything. You'll want to sign up for every club, go to every social event, and make tons of new friends. After a while though, all of the excitement passes and more often than not, the anxiety hits. You start to realize that you can't handle the fifty different things you signed up for while also having a job and juggling a separate social life. It can all get pretty overwhelming. It doesn't have to be though. Stress comes and goes. It's how you deal with it that matters,
1. Just say no.
More than likely, if you are already involved in a bunch of stuff, people know that you are hard working, easy to get along with, etc. and they know that if they ask you to do something you will probably say yes. Saying no is completely okay though. No is not a bad word!
2. Make a list.
One of the easiest ways to tell why you are so busy is to write down all your commitments along with times and days. If you have 3 clubs that meet back to back on Monday's, it's probably time to drop something... which brings me to my next point
3. Prioritize.
When you finally realize what it is that is stressing you out, decide which of your commitments is the least important and drop it. If it is something that you are doing just for fun, but it is causing you more stress than fun, drop it.
4. Have a day to yourself.
When you are busy doing everything for everyone else or working or having to deal with clubs, of course things are going to get stressful. Take a day off work. Go to the lake. Go to the gym. Whatever it is that makes you happy, do that. It will make you feel better.
5. Spend time with your friends.
For some people, "me-time" de-stresses. For others, it's the time spent with friends that makes a difference. Plan a girls night of staying in and watching Netflix, or find somewhere to go! Sometimes you need the encouragement of your friends to keep you on track and that's perfectly okay.
6. Turn off your phone.
Our phones are the most important things in our lives...so it seems. If you timed yourself everytime you got on your phone during the day, you're bound to rack up hours of cellular time. Think of all the things you can get done in that time! Your Twitter and Instagram followers will be fine with waiting a couple hours to hear from you.
7. Take a nap.
Honestly, we are college students. naps fix pretty much anything. Even a 10 minute power nap between classes is enough to get rid of at least a little bit of stress! You can do this!
