At this time of year, things start cracking down and become stressful, scary, and downright exhausting for the average college student. Final exams are on the horizon, papers start piling up, and your hours of sleep decrease as the amount of time spent in the library grows. During the next couple of weeks, students get angsty, crabby, and end up stressing out everyone around them, making life just an overall unpleasant experience.

I know that I personally fall into the category of stressed-out college student quite a bit, but people also have been telling me recently that I never appear to be stressed. I find their assumptions quite strange, but I guess I must be doing something right. What is my magic, you may ask? Here are six things you can do to make your life a little bit more relaxing.

1. Take a deep breath

Yes, I know this sounds so cliché and silly, but trust me. I know there are all of those thoughts swirling around your head making you believe that the sky is really falling, and they are hard to ignore. Trust me though, just take a big gulp of air into your lungs, wait until they feel like two large balloons, and then release them in one large gasp. Do you feel better yet? Taking a deep breath will ground you and make you feel like your life is somewhat together.

2. Take some "me time"

I know this is probably the last thing you want to do with so many assignments to cram down your throat, but taking a moment to focus on your self-care is important in a time of high stress. Taking a little study break to take a nap, watch a favorite TV show, read a book, or go for a jog will eventually help you re-focus and get in the mood for more studying. If you want to steal one of my favorite “me-time” activities, try making a cute door sign or card for a friend; crafts always relax me, and that thought of making one’s day always has me elated!

3. Get organized

The third step and the real first step to actually getting your work done is to organize yourself and figure out what you have to get done and when. At this time of year, I usually will make a rather large checklist with all of my assignments and their due dates. With all of my stressful and fearful thoughts about passing classes swirling in my head, I often neglect to realize that I honestly don’t have as much to do as I thought. Sitting down and writing checklists, outlines for big papers, and setting goals for yourself will often take a lot of stress off of your shoulders.

4. Call someone

The fourth step occurs when I am at the point of no return when I get stressed ( that point where I start to mentally shut down, let's be real), I take out the big guns; I call my mom. My mom obviously has the power to fix everything that I think is stressing me out and knock some sense into my head, so these ranty phone calls I have with her usually help. It honestly just feels good to get everything that is stressing you out in the open; sometimes all you need is someone who is willing to listen. While I may rely on a phone call to my mom when I am terribly stressed, a father, brother, sister, grandparent, or friend works too.

5. Spend time with friends

The next step is one of the biggest things I think that is important to consider during finals or other stressful times is your relationships with your friends. Make sure to spend time with your friends. Most of your friends are probably in the same boat as you. Instead of shutting them out because you need to study, take the time to hang out with them, even if it is just lunch or a quick coffee date. People who are in similar situations as you will have great advice on how to boost your spirits. Your friends are your friends for a reason, so utilize their best qualities ( such as their random humor or great listening ears) to bring down your own stress levels.

6. Smile

Lastly, just smile. Seriously though, finding a reason to smile can make life just seem a whole lot better. Next time you are feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, take the moment to notice how beautiful the sunset looks, how nice sand feels between your toes, or how adorable small children can be. Then, you may feel that weight suddenly disappear and you can fly like a bird.