Do you ever just feel so overwhelmed that you want nothing more than to have a good cry, eat a bowl of Butter Lovers popcorn, and binge watch Netflix? Well, that is exactly how I felt with this last week. I woke up Monday morning after spring break feeling done. Sure, I could have studied and completed homework over the holiday but the minute Lent was over, I had to get a Netflix fix. I binged watched all of Fuller House in an afternoon. No shame whatsoever. So, as you can imagine, when my five o'clock alarm went off Monday morning, it was time to get down to business and back to reality. With six classes, three jobs, and extracurricular activities, you can't waste any time but knowing everything I needed to do during the week and even the weekend made me want to crawl back into my warm, cozy bed and never leave. I've come up with my eight tips that help me with my mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being. I hope they help you too!
1. Manage Your Time: When I was looking at everything I had to do for the whole week at one time, I could feel a breakdown beginning. Instead, I organized everything by what needed to be done for each day. I basically made a to-do list for each day to see what absolutely needed to be done between work, classes, and sorority events.
2. Sleep: If you aren't getting enough sleep, you'll be drowsy and lack energy to accomplish your tasks. You aren't as driven when you're increasing your sleep debt. While all nighters may help get things done, consider whether or not you're putting your best effort in. Time managing can help and you can still get your eight hours of beauty sleep!
3. Exercise: It seems like getting a workout in would be too much. It could be if it's hard core. I suggest at least taking a ten minute walk to clear your mind. Doing some yoga poses also helps me feel more relaxed. Then after those endorphins are released, I feel better and ready to get my stuff done!
4. One task at a time: Like I said before, if you try to multitask on important assignments, then you probably aren't putting your best effort in. Doing one thing at a time can cause you to become distracted and not focus as well. Prioritizing will be your life saver. I personally like getting larger, more complicated assignments done first so that weight is off my shoulders. Then I am usually able to breeze through the smaller things.
5. Take breaks: If the stress is getting to you, take a break. This would be a good time to take that walk or do some yoga. Just breathe. Breathing helps with calming down and reducing stress and anxiety. When I'm at home, I sometimes do facial masks that are specifically for lowering stress and leave me feeling refreshed.
6. Ask for help: Ask your family and friends for some help if you need it. Maybe you don't have time to give your full effort and put energy into a chore; you can your family or roommate if they can pitch in more. Say you have a class with a test coming up soon, see if a friend in the class will study together. You may be afraid or too prideful, which I understand, but people are more willing to help than you think.
7. Learn to say "no": I am a total people pleaser but one thing I've learned over this past year is to say "no". I would absolutely LOVE to be a part of all events and help all my family and friends 24/7, but unfortunately, I'm not Superwoman. Taking on too much is incredibly overwhelming and you really could end up having a breakdown. Do what you can but limit yourself when it gets to be too much.
8. Think positive: I definitely struggled with this one a bit this last week. I had so much to do and felt like I needed a good cry. To be honest, that happened and it can help to get that out of your system. Sometimes, I will pick an encouraging quote for the week and put it in my planner. I also like telling myself that "I got dis" when I need a reminder I can succeed. Positive thinking can help your mental and emotional health which is a major element in leading a happy life.
9. Reward yourself: I bet you never thought I'd get here! Do something at the end of each day that helps you unwind. Have some much deserved chill time. During the week, I'll let myself have a piece of chocolate or extra coffee or something I normally don't eat. Mini rewards help me get to the weekend, which is when I like to have a morning or evening of just catching up on my favorite shows with a sweet treat. Just do something that makes you happy!
