Fall semester has just begun, and stress levels are already starting to rise. Don't let school get the best of you: Follow these 10 tips to help you stay on top of the semester mentally and emotionally as well as academically.
Listen to music
This is my go-to method of calming down. Try disconnecting from the world for about 10 minutes and listen to slow, calm, classical music or nature sounds.
Drink tea
Cut out coffee for a while. Too much caffeine causes spikes in blood pressure, thus raising your heart rate. Instead, tea has about half the amount of caffeine that coffee does, and it has healthy amino acids which calm down the nervous system.
Do little assignments first
I tend to feel so much better about my workload if I get the assignments with less point value done first. This way, the easy things are knocked out, leaving you with more time to focus on larger projects.
Exercise
Even just for a few minutes, take a walk around the dorm, maybe take out the trash. You don't always have to go powerlifting to relieve stress as long as you get your blood flowing in one way or another.
Remember to breathe
BREATHE. Deep breaths oxygenate your blood, center your body and clear your mind.
Take large projects in small chunks
Sometimes you get a huge assignment and want to do it all at once. Slow down. A ton of times professors only want you at certain stages of the assignment and will grade the work periodically. Breaking the work up in chunks allows you to thoroughly tune out fine details before bringing the assignment together.
Stay hydrated
I often forget to eat or drink anything when I'm zoned out and tremoring in an actual blanket of stress. If you really can't eat, you better drink all the water you can. Being dehydrated can only make things worse, giving you a lightheaded sensation.
Take your time in the shower
This might be the only part of your day when you'll get to feel more relaxed than ever. Don't be afraid to spend more than five minutes in the shower and really savor the warm water and the sense of washing your worries away for a while.
Make time for sleep
Pulling all-nighters to get work done will only offset your full ability to perform well the next day. Get as much as you can done, and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep to recover from the day.
Remember your hard work pays off
Let the future be your motivation and keep your sights set on the ultimate goal: Someday, you'll get your degree and (hopefully) land your dream job.
In the end, make sacrifices towards your path to success, but don't let them affect your mental and physical health to an unhealthy extreme. Sometimes you won't get more than five hours of sleep. Sometimes you forget to eat if it means getting that paper done. Recognize when you need a break, and take it. Even if it's just five minutes.
