With the new school year starting I thought I would write about one thing all college students and all people who are hard-working individuals know very well. Stress. Stress is something that we all feel once things get overwhelming: such as a lot of schoolwork, a busy day at the office, or a bad day that ends with spilled grape juice on the white carpet. Whatever the cause, stress is all of our worst enemy. The good thing about stress, is that it is manageable. Whenever things get really bad, you can always do things to help feel more calm and in control. In this article I write about 11 things to try when you feel stressed!
1. Examine why you feel stressed
This is something I don't always do, but should. Usually when I am stressed I tense up and get overwhelmed. Instead, I should be thinking about why I feel stressed. Is it because I've put two papers off till they were due? Is it because my room is unorganized and I am always losing things? Or is it because I have a lot of work to do and I just need to sit down and get it done? Examining why you are stressed can help you plan things out and may even be able to show you that you are causing your own stress. If cleaning your work space or getting work done early can help you, then do it!
2. Try organizing your time, work, and relaxation with a planner
One of the best things to do to help avoid stress is to feel as if you are in control of it. If you know how many assignments you have to do this week, when you have class, when you work, and when you have plans, you won't feel so lost. Planning things out, whether on paper or in your phone, can help tremendously. You can check off what you've completed and see what else you need to accomplish before the week is over. This is a way to make sure you never forget a class, assignment, or event and will be a way to help you feel more in control of your time.
3. Keep an organized space
One of the easiest ways to get stressed is to feel overwhelmed and out of control. If you are constantly loosing papers, forgetting to do tasks, or even getting annoyed with a messy environment, you should consider organizing your space. When I say organize, I do not mean your place has to look like a house from a catalog. What I mean is you should organize your stuff so YOU know where everything is and so YOU feel happy with it. If this means you color-code everything, so be it. If it means you never make your bed but keep your desk clear, so be it. However you organize, you should make sure you keep your environment in a way that makes you happy and less stressed.
4. Say "no" sometimes
This is one of the most important things on this lists. It is okay to say no. This meaning, you can say no to someone asking more out of you than you can handle, or to plans if you really want to stay home and get stuff done. If someone asks you to work overtime, take on an extra duty on an assignment, or go out for the night, you can say no. You are a human being and we all need time to ourselves and a manageable workload. Saying no to some things will help you feel less stressed, less overwhelmed, and more in control of your load of work. Your friends will understand and if you work hard all the time, you are allowed to relax. It is okay!
5. Allow yourself your own time
Put aside the work and the stress and allow yourself to do what you want. This doesn't mean putting everything off to the last minute or not doing things correctly, it simply means allot yourself time for you. If Sundays aren't busy for you, plan something fun for yourself on that day. This will allow you some time to de-stress and also something to look forward to during the week. Even if it a treat, like a cookie or a piece of cake during a study section, give yourself a little reward and a little "you" time.
6. Color!
This may be something you haven't done since you were little, but with the new fad of adult coloring books you can rekindle your youth with coloring! It is a nice way to spend a few minutes before going to bed and genuinely relaxes you. Go find a coloring book or doodle something new, use crayons or colored pencils, use all sorts of colors and don't think about all the stuff that can be stressing you out.
7. Listen to music
This is something you can do while you are doing work, cleaning, or studying. It will help you focus on your work but also not get so overwhelmed. If you enjoy certain types of music, make a playlist just for studying. If you absolutely hate cleaning your house or doing laundry, dance along to music while doing both and it suddenly becomes a lot more fun.
8. Try writing down your thoughts
This is different than planning; writing down your thoughts means to write down why you are stressed, why you are anxious, happy, excited, frustrated, and so on. Not only is it therapeutic, but you can also look back on your thoughts and reflect on if you need to make serious life changes. If your job is always making you unhappy, is it time for something new?
9. Find people who help you feel less stressed
If you are constantly around negative people or people who don't reflect the way you like to live, then you will feel even worse. Find people who care about you and will help you feel less stressed. Find positive people who can not only help you feel better, but be better. Don't surround yourself with negativity or people who try and change you. Trust me, once you do you will feel a lot better.
10. Make sure you are getting sleep, eating right, and taking care of yourself
It is so important to stay healthy during times of stress, otherwise you can be doing serious damage to your body, mind, and happiness. When you are stressed don't binge-eat and don't skip meals. Make sure you eat healthy, allow yourself the occasional snack and junk food (we all deserve them!), and drink lots of water. Get enough sleep every night so you aren't tired during class or work. Manage your time so you can do all of these things and also allow yourself time to do what you want.
11. If you feel like you need it, get help
There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help. In fact, it is the most important thing on this list if you feel that you aren't in control of your stress and anxiety. If you find yourself constantly in a state of anxiety or fear, or if you really want help coping with anything, get help. Find a doctor or counselor who can talk to you and get you the right kind of help. You should never feel scared or embarrassed by this, in fact you should feel proud that you are brave to help yourself.
I hope you can find something in this list that helps you with stress. Remember that everyone deals with feeling overwhelmed, but if you feel like you can't handle your anxiety, seek out help. Also, make sure you plan things out and give yourself time for you. Stress is manageable and once you feel in control of it, you will lead a much happier and healthier life!
