Committing yourself to many things can send you into overdrive and in order to complete things at its best, you need to be at your best.
1. Stay Organized
Nothing is worse than having scrambled notebooks everywhere, papers flying around, and going to the wrong class on the wrong day. I would say these incidents happen more toward the middle to the end of the semester, so do not be that person that needs to ask someone for a pen. Instead, buy at least two calendars. Get one giant wipe off board to hang in your room and a planner to carry around with you. My anxiety gets way worse when my weeks aren't somewhat planned out. So if you have a visualization of what your days look like and what time your classes and job are, you will be in good shape. Always remember, take it one step out of time and plan accordingly.
2. Avoid Caffeine
Now before you skip over this one and laugh, "Yeah, not happening," caffeine can make your anxiety worse. Caffeine is a stimulant and can make you feel more awake but also jittery. Jittery can lead to feelings of nervousness and for someone who has anxiety that is not the best feeling. It took me a few weeks to detox from coffee and energy drinks because I thought my body needed the caffeine in order to function. I suffered from headaches and on some days I cheated and sipped the delicious brew. My best advice would be to give up caffeine when the time is right, I know myself and other college students strive off of coffee. Switch over to green tea! At one point I drank three, if not four, cups of green tea a day. Tea still has caffeine in it but green tea has a significantly lesser amount than coffee. Decaf coffee is a thing too.
3. Excerise
Who has the time to exercise? Well if your anxiety gets worse throughout the school year, some have no choice. A nice refreshing walk with some good music can help relieve anxiety. There are so many benefits to walking from health to even brainstorming. Walking is a good way to relieve stress and open your mind. Be one with nature. College campuses are usually pretty nice in the fall and spring. So get out of your dorm at a time where your community is quiet. You will be with yourself and be able to think things through. Who cares how many miles you walk, just get out because the slightest walk is a start and will make you feel better about yourself.
4. Do Not Procrastinate
This falls under staying organized, but if you have a paper to do please do not wait until the night of. Myself and other students have definitely been notorious for doing this. If you have a 10-page paper due in a month, all you have to do is one page every night and you will have time left over to revise it. I try and look at it differently because one page a night is not a lot at all. I feel way better knowing I am halfway done with an assignment when the due date is approaching verses just starting it. Also, you won't have to stay up the night of and drown your regrets in Red Bull.
5. Read
I know time is limited during classes and whatever else you have going on, but make it a goal to finish a book before the semester ends. Reading, especially at night, can help relax you and you will be able to escape reality for a little bit. There are so many books about love, romance, mystery, and whatever you like reading about. So take the opportunity and get into a book. I enjoy reading a book before I watch the movie even though it turns out the book is always better. Plus, you will feel a feeling of satisfaction knowing you completed a whole book. Now if you can't seem to find a Barnes and Noble close enough to your college, you are probably lying. But if that is the case, libraries are still a thing, college bookstores, Amazon... I can go on and on.
6. Take Time For Yourself
Do not go out every night, do not skip classes, and do not give yourself to more people and things than you can handle. Your time is very valuable and if you need to stay in for a night and binge a Netflix show, do it. Don't forget about your daily walks you should be taking and sipping on your tea, not drama. Committing yourself to many things can send you into overdrive and in order to complete things at its best, you need to be at your best. Yes, college has many possibilities to be the best years of your life, but do not make them full of regret and do not let your anxiety take over. If you need to be alone, it is OK to enjoy your own company.
7. Take Advantage Of Your School's Services
Most, I am sure all universities, offer therapy. Whether it's group therapy or one on one, counseling and psychological services or CAPS, is something to look into if you want to talk to someone. I guarantee you are not the only college student freaking out about something you convinced yourself is stupid and something you'll grow out of. CAPS is there for a reason and a good place to start off at if you are considering therapy. I know someone that started off going to CAPS and when school ended, that student continued therapy and got the necessary help they needed. Aside from therapy, other clubs or sports can work for you as well. The only way to find out is to take advantage of what your college offers.
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- Student Stress & Anxiety Guide | LearnPsychology.org ›
- Anxiety Disorders at School | Anxiety and Depression Association of ... ›
- Anxiety at School - Accommodations to Help your Anxious Child ›
- Helping Your Child Cope with Back-to-School Anxiety | AnxietyBC ›
- When Anxiety Hits at School - The Atlantic ›
- Classroom Anxiety in Children | School Anxiety | Child Mind Institute ›
- 7 Ways to Help Students Who Struggle with Anxiety - WeAreTeachers ›
- How to Deal with Anxiety | Teen Vogue ›
- Classroom Ideas to Reduce Anxiety ›
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