Dear Friend,
If you are reading this, then you are either an Achievement-Oriented Individual like myself, or you are not. To those of you who are cut from the same cloth I am, then this letter is written to you. If you are not an Achievement-Oriented Individual, then perhaps this letter will give you some insight into the minds of your friends.
To my fellow overachievers, list-makers, organizers, and overall stressed individuals who thrive on verbal validation and being able to plan your entire life on a spreadsheet: it's okay.
It's easy to let the stress and anxiety of the new year and the new semester get to you right about now. New classes, new professors, syllabus shock, the threat of "real life" looming over your head...it can all become too much to handle. If you're like me, you're already involved on campus in multiple organizations and activities, along with a full schedule and some sort of social life to keep up with. Now, add on top of that the fear of graduation coming in a year (or two, or three), the need to secure internships in order to secure jobs, filling out those applications, more than likely working a part-time job for money (or multiple jobs), and the fact that you probably don't know what you want to do with your life yet?
I think we can all agree that we deserve to be a little stressed. But being stressed and letting that stress control your life are two completely different things. So, from one stressed out overachiever to another, here are some tips and tricks for leading a life that might have stress, but is not ruled by stress:
If you don't already have a planner, get one. Preferably one with time slots. Write down, highlight, or black out the times when you'll be in class or at work (things that won't change) to give yourself a good idea of how much free time you have.
Us Achievement-Oriented Individuals love our lists. We have to-do lists, to-do lists for our to-do lists, and we love crossing achievements off as we complete them. So put some time to relax on your to-do list. Prescribe a specific amount of time every day, or every week, to put everything away and simply do something you love (even if that is sleeping).
Talk to a professor or professional that is working in your field of study. Ask them questions about their college experiences, how they figured out what they wanted to do with their life, what their advice would be for a stressed student. They're not just there to give you exams and problems - they're there to help you.
Eat healthily, drink water, get enough sleep, exercise. I cannot stress the importance of these four steps more. When you take care of your body and mind, your body and mind take care of you.
Find an accountability partner. This could be your friend, your family member, a professor, or someone that you know from somewhere else. The point is, find someone that you can trust and confide in them. Tell them about your stress, tell them about your fears, tell them about your goals, and they can tell you about their own. Together, you can hold each other accountable and give each other advice.
These tips are not the end-all-be-all of stress and anxiety for people like us. But they will certainly help — if you put them to good use. Take it from someone who has done all of these things herself: nothing is going to get better until you try to change.
Sincerely,
EH
