As we embark upon the heart of the semester, we often find ourselves rushing to meet deadlines and running out of hours in the day. Today, it is more common than not for students to hold full-time jobs on top of being full-time schedule for school. The balance between these responsibilities, relationships, friendships and family life seems entirely unattainable to most.

Because finding this balance is so incredibly difficult, and because we are often criticized for stretching ourselves too thin, the following are some steps you can take to make the rest of your semester a little bit easier.

It is essential to recognize your accomplishments, and take criticism with a grain of salt.

Successes – especially small ones – will often go unrecognized by those from whom you desire praise. Because the effort you put forth goes unrecognized more often than not, it is essential to reward yourself. Take a breather, put in some “me” time and love yourself in whatever way feels right to you. Since criticism will resonate more with you than any praise you could receive, take it as an opportunity for growth rather than letting it tear you down. If someone has brought up a valid fault of yours, generally, it is with reason, and these critiques should not be taken to heart but rather with a grain of salt. It’s OK to make mistakes if you’re working towards a better you.

To maintain relative sanity, seek an outlet.

If you are under excessive stress as the pressures of life begin to bog you down, an outlet is a necessity. To have something to pour your negative energy and stress into will create an overwhelming change in your disposition. When it comes down to it, we often lose sight of what is most important: our own well-being. If you don't want to panic, find something that brings light into a dark day. Don’t be afraid to set aside an hour every day to do something, anything that makes you happy.

Recognize that you are human.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and sleep is not optional. As a human being, you are not meant to function like a well-oiled machine. You’re going to get tired, and you’re not perfect and that's OK. There are going to be those that are upset that you can't dedicate more time to them, because everyone feels as if they're getting the short end of the stick from you. Remind these people that you are just one person, and there are only so many hours in a day. Though expectations seem to run high, you must accept your imperfections as they are. All you can do is move forward. There is no sense in stressing over the impossible.

Get enough sleep.

Being groggy, moody and physically incapable of completing tasks the next day is the only thing that will come of sleep deprivation. Pulling all-nighters won’t help your grades. Taking shifts that you can’t schedule in won’t help you at work. Going out before having to be up early won’t help your social life. You need to sleep minimally five hours a night to even function, and if you’re denying yourself this basic necessity because of deadlines, you must change something. You’ll feel better if you sleep enough, I promise.

Life is a lot to handle right now, and that's OK. Those around you expect a lot of you, and you're fulfilling it. You've got this, and if you haven't heard it recently, I am so proud of you.