For 99.999999% of the college student population, April doesn't mean slack off until finals, oh no. April means having five exams, three group presentations, and 8,076,102,485,761,082 hours of homework all crammed in the last two to three weeks of classes before you take finals. I like to call this tragedy before the end of spring semester, April Crisis. But don’t worry, I have taken the liberty of constructing tips and tricks to overcoming this stressful period of time in every college students’ lives. I would love nothing more than to share these stress relief techniques with all of you.
1. Make a “to-do” list.
Whenever I know that I have a lot of things coming up in the near future and I am paranoid that I will forget everything, I make a “To Do” list. This way I can prioritize deadlines and I can physically check things off of the list so I know that I have completed all of the tasks that I needed to get done.
2. Pick a decent time to go to bed.
I am only a freshman in college, however, I have yet to experience pulling an all-nighter. Although, I hope I do not have the misfortune of having one. Even if I did stay up all night to study for an exam or finish writing a paper, it would not benefit me or my assignment in any way, shape, or form staying up until the crack of dawn. Your brain needs the recharge from sleep. If you are really that concerned about getting an assignment completed, go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up a little bit earlier in order to finish it. Waking up early is such a travesty, I know, but you can always take a nap later.
3. Go outside and enjoy the sunshine!!
There is no better cure for feeling overwhelmed and anxious than by soaking up some vitamin D and breathing in the fresh air. If you have a pet, take them outside with you. It is a trillion times better to be outside with your faithful sidekick(s) than going out by yourself.
4. Be social.
It is crucial to keep in contact with your friends. Besides your parents, they know you the best. Who knows, they can be the ones who help you overcome this temporary crisis.
5. Eat, eat, and eat some more.
Do I have to say anymore? Why be hangry when you can be full and happy? Get a snack kiddo, you have earned it.
6. Don’t forget to hydrate!!
I don’t know about you, but I get the worst headaches when I am dehydrated. Whether I am studying, writing, or just chilling out, I ALWAYS have a water bottle on hand. You can go weeks without food but you can only go for so long without water.
7. Take a hot shower or bath (if you’re into that).
I personally feel like a brand new person when I step out of the shower. It’s almost as if I washed all of the anxiety away. Plus, I do my best thinking in the shower. It’s typically where all of my greatest breakthroughs occur.
I’m also not one to take baths very often because if you think about it, you are sitting in your own dirt that you have no idea where any of the residues came from. However, if I did take baths all the time, you better believe that I would light candles, play music, and throw a big ol’ bath bomb and have myself a night.
8. It’s OK to cry.
To be brutally honest, when I reach my breaking point for stress, I cry and I cry a lot. I can’t help it, it just happens. But you know what, I am not ashamed of it. It feels good letting out your bottled up stress. Never be ashamed of crying because you could be holding in so much and you don’t even realize it.
9. There’s nothing wrong with taking a nap.
No shame, my favorite pastime is taking a nap. I just feel so wiped by 2-3:00 in the afternoon that a little snooze feels well deserved. It’s a mini recharge that my brain so desperately desires.
10. Take a breath.
Finally but certainly not the least, BREATHE. Close the textbook, put down your pencil/pen/highlighter, shut down your devices, and step away. I understand that there are deadlines to be achieved and there simply are not enough hours in the day to achieve them all, that is just reality. But is the nonstop work really worth losing your sanity?
I sincerely hope that all of these tips and tricks have in some way ease the stress and anxiety as the semester rapidly approaches to a close. Have no fear, summer is near! You made it this far, time to finish strong.
