It's probably the busiest time of your life right about now. The semester is coming to an end, summer is practically lurking around the corner, and you're probably stressed out more than you ever have been. If you're a senior, graduation is just a few weeks away and you're probably wondering what comes next or if you're prepared enough to take that next step. If you're an underclassman, you're probably in over your head with homework, projects, and cramming for exams. Even if you're not in school, you probably feel the weight of the deadlines, meetings, and every other requirement of your job. The weather is getting nicer and let's face it -- we don't want to waste our days typing away on our laptops, but we have to. This fast-paced lifestyle has become second nature to us, but there are most definitely periods of time where we feel overwhelmed. If you're starting to get down on yourself, here are some things that you need to hear:
1. You've made it this far.
Imagine yourself five years ago. Did you ever think you were going to be doing the things you're doing right now? Probably not, and if you were, it seemed like a dream back then. While riding along the path you took to get to this place, you experienced struggles. Some were easier than others, but you overcame every single one of them, and that's something to celebrate. Remember those struggles now and remember that if you made it this far, you can keep going.
2. Give yourself some credit.
I know what it's like to feel like the odds are always against you and to beg and beg for some higher power to cut you a break every now and then. When you feel like you can't get that break, you start to give yourself a hard time -- that helps nothing! Be confident and believe in yourself. You're allowed to make mistakes and you're allowed to struggle, but if you don't learn from it, you will always be in the same place. Instead of begging someone else to cut you some slack, do it for yourself. You're in charge of yourself and you control the way you feel. So what if you're working straight to the deadline? At least you put your heart into it. So what if you pulled an all-nighter to get the paper done? That's better than not doing it at all. Give yourself some credit and stop giving yourself a hard time.
3. Take a break.
I used to dread hearing this phrase. "Take a break and come back; you'll feel better." I used to get so angry because nobody understood that I simply don't have the time to take a break. Truth of the matter is, you do have time for a break. If you don't take care of yourself, you will not only be terribly stressed, but you will also become unhealthy both physically and emotionally. It's not worth it. When you're working on that paper or studying for that exam and you can feel the tears coming on or you find yourself just staring at the page, stop. Walk away for five minutes and do not give yourself a hard time for it. You've worked hard and your brain deserves a break. You need to take care of yourself first, so take a few minutes to do something you love -- read a chapter of a book that isn't for school, go buy an adult coloring book, do a five-minute workout, or call your mom and talk to her. Do anything to take your mind off the stress, and when you come back, you'll be much more focused and get the work done 10 times faster than you would have five minutes before.
4. You have more potential than you know.
It's easy to forget how knowledgeable you are when it comes to being stressed out. Write yourself notes and put them all around you when you're studying or working on that project -- you can do this. You have all of the necessary abilities to get through this project and make it great. You have the potential and you're worth the success. Push yourself and challenge yourself, but never forget how much potential you have, and please understand that you definitely have even more than you realize.
5. It won't be like this forever.
When you have five classes, two jobs, and all of the extra stuff on the side, you forget what life was like when you didn't have this many obligations. It won't be like this forever, so enjoy it while you can. Enjoy the nights you spend staying in and binge watching "One Tree Hill" for the third time. Enjoy the days you spend catching up on homework and enjoy the endless meetings with groups that turn into your closest friends. It may not seem like it now, but eventually you'll find some consistency and your life won't be the big ball of stress that it is now. Look forward to the future but still try to enjoy right now. You only get one life, and it changes every second -- this second is just a little stressful.
