Maybe your job is asking you to work more hours for the Summer season. Maybe you have 10 assignments due before Finals next week. Maybe you have a pile of laundry on the floor competing with the pile of dishes in the sink. Maybe all of the above! If you're stressed out and living in a state of overwhelm it can be hard to get things done, and it can take a toll on your health. So, start with a deep breath and...

1. Remember you are in control.

This is your life. You have built it, and you can change it. Many times we feel overwhelmed when we have too much to do and too little time to do it. Make a list of your priorities. Is everything in your planner a priority? If not, take a break from that activity. Learn to say no. There's no shame in rescheduling when you have bigger fish to fry. Your friends and family will be glad to have you to themselves when you aren't distracted by the research paper you have hanging over your head. Plan ahead for them when you know you will be free. You don't have a planner?

2. Get a planner.

There are a finite number of hours in every day and how you spend them is entirely up to you. There are a million beautiful planners out there, pick one! I love this one. Have you been ignoring the free ones lying around your campus on side tables and desk corners? They're there. Grab one! It's much easier to decide what you have time for when you can see how much time you really have. Write in your classes, study hours, work schedule, activities, dates, and time devoted to you. That's right...

3.Schedule you-time.

Self-care is the secret ingredient to succeeding when you're overwhelmed. When you decide you have time for yourself, you open the door to a world of possibilities for fun and even more freedom. Schedule a class at a local yoga studio or time to run with the Run, Zombies! app. Whatever your exercise of choice is, make time and schedule it. The same thing goes for making sure your laundry and dishes get done. If you don't have a clean plate to put breakfast on, you're less likely to cook it! (I know I'm asking a lot here.) Eating a healthy, balanced diet is part of taking care of yourself, and so is getting enough sleep. Schedule your bedtime. You'll be more alert, retain information better, and your body will perform better if you're well rested. If you just want to relax, try a meditation video on youtube, or watch Netflix while you paint your nails.

Scheduling time for yourself doesn't mean you have to spend money, and it doesn't have to include anything fancy. Work on the basics; Eat well, exercise, sleep well, and make sure you have clean clothes. You will end up setting yourself up for success by meeting all your own needs. You can't pour from an empty cup, and if no one's offering a refill, you'll have to get one yourself.

4. Practice Gratitude.

If the idea of doing every single thing on your list freaks you out, or frustrates you, try saying thank you. Seriously.

Gratitude for homework: "Thank you, final paper, for teaching me everything I never thought I wanted to know about how dietary cholesterol may or may not affect blood serum cholesterol!"

Gratitude for laundry: "Thank you, shirt my aunt gave me, for looking so great on me and helping me feel put together for my interview today!"

Gratitude for a job you don't love: "Thank you, current job, for helping me build my resume and eventually land my dream job!"

It may sound silly to thank your dog for being cute, or to thank your sports bra for just existing, but gratitude is like a muscle. The more you practice it the better you'll feel. So...

5. Think positive thoughts.

Imagine if your best friend said to you every discouraging or mean thing you say to yourself. You wouldn't stay friends, and you'd wonder what the hell her problem was. Learn from your mistakes, then forgive yourself and move on. You are no longer the exhausted, disorganized little bunny you once were. Believe that you will get through it, and you will.

Say it with me, "I can do this."