In honor of the spookiest and scariest time of the year, I find it only appropriate to talk about a scary subject for college students of all years and majors: stress. As college students, we come into contact with stress all the time. In fact, often we find that we live somewhat in a state stress with hundreds of pages of readings, essays, and exams looming over our heads. Given a desire to do well in college while trying to find your own path in life, it is natural to feel a bit exhausted and stressed when it comes to college. Stress is something that all college students will encounter, especially with midterms and projects just around the corner.
Granted, stress is all around us, but one thing that is important to acknowledge is your limits. Some professors and people would like to convince you otherwise, but you are not a homework and project robot. You can't keep burning the candle at both ends; eventually, a person is going to hit their limit. When you are in college, it is important that you recognize your own physical, emotional, and mental limits. At some point, you have to know when to stop and take care of yourself instead of pushing yourself too far.
You can't push yourself too hard or else you will break an collapse. Think of it this way: if you are constantly using your coffee pot because you have an exam the next day, your coffee pot may become overheated and start to break down. The same mentality can be applied to your body and your capabilities. You can sit at your desk for hours and hours on end working on an essay, but too much focus without care given to rest or your other needs can cause you to become burned out. Similarly, you can force yourself to read a paper or a book, but there is a marked difference between reading and comprehending. Working too hard can cause your work and quality to end up worse than it was when you start out. Thus, you can't really push yourself too terribly hard. Your quantity of work and effort still has to show the same level of quality.
In order to combat this overstimulation of stress and anxiety, it is important to know your limits and to find ways to either take breaks or to incorporate a little fun into your work. This way, you balance out the tiring and stressful aspects of your day with things that bring you joy and happiness. For example, while you are working on a paper or project, listen to some of your favorite songs. Every one in a while, take a small break by setting goals for yourself. For example, tell yourself you will take a ten-minute break when you finish the chapter. Now you have an incentive to finish the section of reading and you get to enjoy some free time.
This free time should, as stated previously, be filled with things that bring you a sense of joy. This can vary from person to person. Some may find relaxation in reading a passage from their favorite book. Others may enjoy curling up with a sketchbook and a pencil. You may love watching a couple of YouTube videos while your best friend may find happiness in gardening. No matter what it is you do, as long as it is a happy and healthy activity, make sure you incorporate it into your life. College life is filled with stress and work more often than not so it is important that there are moments of joy to combat the moments of stress.
Never forget that you are an important individual who is deserving of love, joy, and rest. College may be stressful and may be important, but your wellbeing is even more so.
