The middle of the semester. Arguably, my least favorite point in the semester. The papers are piling up, the midterms are coming up—and if I let it, then just about everything starts to get me stressed. When that happens, it's all too easy for me to get into a sort of slump. I feel down—I procrastinate, stress, and don't sleep nearly as much as I should, all in the name of making that A and getting the grades I need.
On that note, if that experience sounds familiar in any way to you, then here are ten things that you can do to keep the mid-semester slump from getting you down.
1. Remind yourself that grades aren't everything.
Pass or fail, grades are not everything. Yes, they're important in many respects, but at that same time, there's also plenty of ways that they aren't. It's important to remember that grades don't define you as a person, and that one or two bad grades won't hold you back.
2. Take a breather.
When life gets too stressful, remember to breathe. As simple as it may sound, sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in life that you forget to do even thing simplest of things. When things get stressful, take a second to breath, remind yourself that everything will be okay, and then press forward.
3. Say a prayer when you feel discouraged.
Don't be discouraged! Don't think bad of yourself! Psalm 139:14 says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and if you feel like you aren't, then say a prayer and lay out what is burdening you.
4. Don't forget to treat yourself sometimes.
Treat yourself! Whether that's getting your favorite food, watching a movie or TV show, or doing a little self-care, it's important to treat yourself every once in a while, and give yourself something to look forward to!
5. Get some sleep when you can.
Please sleep. When I don't get enough sleep (which happens all to often), I'm not my happiest self. I'm also not able to fully focus on my homework because, when it comes down to it, coffee is just not the same as a full night's rest.
6. Take a break every now and again.
Breaks are important. If you keep going and going and going, then odds are, you'll get very burnt out very quickly. If you want to keep that focus, then it's probably best that you take breaks during those late night study sessions.
7. Remember to take care of yourself.
Please take care of yourself. No matter how rough things get—and how little time you think you have—it's still important to shower, get sleep, eat food, and do all those important things that you have to do to take care of yourself.
8. Talk to friends and family.
Take some time to talk to friends and family. At least for me, talking to people that care about me is a surefire way to brighten up any sad day.
9. Try not to shut out people who care about you.
On that note, make sure you aren't shutting out people who care about you. Don't forget to call your parents every now and again, and remember that your friends care about you and your well-being. They want to talk to you about everything going on it your life.
10. Do things that make you happy.
Don't get so bogged down in school work that you leave no time to be happy. Take some time out of every day to do things that make you smile, no matter how big or small those things might be.
I know that things are picking up at this point in the semester, but try not to let stress get you down. Remember that everything is going to be alright—and if you can't get your spirits up, I hope that a few of these things might help you out.
