You're tired, you're stressed and frankly, you're done with the semester. Then, you realize you still have eight weeks left. You are begging motivation to walk into your life and supply you with the energy you need to obtain the grades you want. If you're a college student, you can relate.
Research conducted by the Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing shows at any given time, 10 to 20 percent of a university's student body will be suffering from a form of stress, anxiety or depression.
The results are in: collegecan suck.
Amid heaps of mid-terms, assignments, and other obligations in your life as a busy college student, academic motivation tends to deplete quickly, and chooses not to return. It is easy to fall into lazy habits that hinder your academic success and push you closer toward being sucked into the black hole of stress and anxiety.
But there is hope. Taking these easy six steps can help you beat that mid-semester slump.
1. Sleep.
It sounds pretty obvious, but pulling an all-nighter to study for a mid-term and then ‘compensating’ by taking a four-hour nap the following day after the exam is hurting you more than helping you. Not only does this throw your body’s rhythm out of whack, but it also will leave you feeling drained and fatigued. You’ll also run into trouble trying to get to sleep the following night.
Getting good sleep is essential when avoiding stress. However, becoming an early riser can help your academic well-being.
What you need to do is create a schedule that your body can adapt to. It will also thank you in the long run. You will reap more benefits if you go to bed early, and wake up early the next day to finish your task.You are also more likely to perform better on an exam.
Also, sleep is awesome. Make it a priority.
2. Fill out a planner.
Organizing your future tasks for the semester will not only ease your transition into the things you have to do, but it can also serve as an efficient and healthy break from studying.
Typically, when you write out everything you have to do, your workload doesn’t seem as daunting as it did prior to mapping it out.
Feeling organized will take your stress levels down significantly.
If lack of time is restricting you from getting your tasks done, try creating an hourly schedule. Splitting your tasks up into strict time intervals will assure you accomplish everything.
Check out this list of online platforms that can help to organize your life.
3. Make time for exercise you enjoy.
Workouts can be dreadful. They also are extremely easy to sweep under the rug when your schedule is crazy busy. However, exercise has the ability to clear your mind and free you from unwanted stress.
You don’t need to be doing strenuous forms of exercise like running a marathon or lifting heavy weights to get a healthy dose of physical activity.
Try waking up 30 minutes earlier to jog or to do a quick HIIT workout.
Not only will exercise leave you feeling better about your heavy academic workload, but it will leave you feeling happier overall.
4. Breakup with your phone.
The Huffington Post recently reported a recent study that shows the average young adult spends a total of five hours on their smartphone.
That’s a lot of time wasted that could be devoted to productive academic work. Next time you’re studying, try leaving your phone at home.
A good strategy that works for me is turning off my notifications on my lock screen so that I don’t feel obliged to open my phone up and end up falling down the black hole of social media for. A good attention span is essential for getting through the semester successfully.
5. Have something to look forward to.
A good motivational factor is creating a reward for yourself after studying for an exam or assignment. It is easy to become frustrated with studying because all too often, it seems like there isn't an end—or a point for that matter.
But when you picture something to look forward in the future, whether that be going out during the weekend or imagining the job you will snag after getting an A in the class, motivation should naturally come to you.
During this point of the semester, it is easy for your stressful workload to overshadow the reason why you’re in school in the first place. You’re devoting your time to the process for a reason, so keep that in mind.
6. Seek out resources.
Sometimes, no strategy can relieve the stress of a difficult semester.
However, most universities offer plenty of useful tools that are free of charge to keep you on track for the semester. I find that simply meeting with my professor during their office hours to ask questions for clarification can relieve myself of stressing out over that course's workload.
Universities also offer stress management options, such as mental health clinics and online counseling. Be sure to check out what your university has to offer.
Currently, being a college student is more stressful than ever. The pressure can be overwhelming, but there are plenty of measures you can take to fend off the mid-semester scares. What is your favorite tactic to combat academic stress?