A couple days ago, I would have slept through my first class if one of my roommates hadn't woken me up 10 minutes before class started. Turns out my charger decided to stop working in the middle of the night, and my phone had died. I quickly rushed through a modified morning routine and stumbled to class with a dead phone, a horrible taste in my mouth, and a very crappy outlook on life. Later, I couldn't find my keys anywhere. They weren't in the classroom, they weren't in my room, and they definitely weren't in the purple pocket of my book bag like usual. Frazzled as I was, I had thrown them in my laptop pocket on accident. So now my brand-spanking-new laptop has a very unattractive key scratch on it. Great start to a great day.
One of my other roommates captured this feeling perfectly by showing me a Vine of One Direction in which Niall says "Today was a busy week for us." Yep. That about covers it.
I feel like the whole campus is suffering from this thing called stress at this time in the year. Fall break is so close, yet so far away, and midterms are looming in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Have no fear, though! Because stress is normal, and there are ways to deal with it. Here are a few methods that you've probably heard before, but might need to hear again.
1. Music
When I want to relax, I play Enya or the Peaceful Piano playlist on Spotify. When I want to cheer up, I usually listen to songs like "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers or "On My Way" by Phil Collins.
2. Food
After my lovely morning of things going wrong, I decided to take a break and go off campus to get dinner. I went by myself to a place I'd never been and tried something new and exciting. It was a perfect way to recharge, and I was much happier when I got back to campus.
3. TV/Movies
If you have an hour or two to kill and want to escape your to-do list, take a break by giving your mind something else to focus on. If you're a "Once Upon A Time" fan, season 6 just premiered. YAY! Or, if you're like me, pick up that book you've been meaning to read for fun and read it.
4. Exercise
The weather has been beautiful lately. Take a twenty-minute break from staring at your laptop screen or throwing your textbook in frustration and take a walk through campus. Or shift your concentration by going to the gym and stepping out of the craziness of the mind and focus instead on the body.
5. Meditate
A lot of people tell me that they don't meditate because they don't know how. There are a ton of apps that guide you through some easy meditations, and if you don't want to do that, you can just close your eyes and breathe deeply for a few minutes to restart your mind.
I hope you're not too overwhelmed because life is beautiful and it's meant to be enjoyed. If today has been a busy week for you, just take a break and a deep breath. It will get better. And then it will probably get worse again. But then it will get better again. Namaste.
