College puts a lot of stress on students and can lead students to have breakdowns in the middle of the semester. With homework, exams, work, and more, students face a lot of pressure and it can be hard to keep up with everything. Here are five steps to avoid a mid-semester breakdown or crisis.

1. Make to-do lists

A good way to stay on top of everything you have to get done is to make to-do lists. If you write everything down, it’s easier to keep track of what you have left to do. Making a to-do list will let you know what work you still need to get done and start getting it done without getting too overwhelmed.

2. Get enough sleep

While it may be hard, getting enough sleep will help your mental health and help you avoid getting too stressed. Plan out your time well to make sure you can get at least six or seven hours of sleep most nights. Some nights you might get barely any sleep, but if you keep up on your sleep overall you’ll be more productive and less stressed.

3. Take time for yourself

The best way to keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed and having a breakdown is to take time for yourself. When you take the time to do things you love or just time away from doing work, you will be less stressed and you can relieve the anxiety that you’ve built up.

4. Stay on top of your homework

Professors assign a lot of homework and with five or six classes the homework can begin piling up. When you don’t stay on top of all of your homework and studying, you will lead yourself to have a mid-semester breakdown or crisis. It may be hard, but if you keep up with all of your homework, you can avoid becoming too stressed.

5. Plan a fun weekend

In addition to taking time for yourself, planning a fun weekend with friends will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed and having a breakdown. It can be a full weekend trip to somewhere a few hours away or just a weekend of exploring and going to new places in your college area. Get a big group together and rent out an Airbnb and you’ll have a great weekend that will keep you from having a breakdown.

Doing these things will prevent you from becoming too stressed or overwhelmed during the semester. Follow these steps to keep yourself from having a mid-semester breakdown or crisis.