It is only week two, and I can already say I feel overwhelmingly dead inside. School is being a pain, work is making me stress about school, which ultimately leads to the stress of money if I don't work, which makes me resent school a little bit more, and it is just an endless cycle. My social calendar is in the dirt, smothered and stomped on by school and work, and school is making work seem inconvenient. It is only week two: what will month two be like?

So I've decided against stress this semester.

Obviously this won't be entirely possible, and if you're anything like me, the possibility of being late to a class makes you want to throw up. However, the act of toning it down a couple of levels is doable. Prioritizing is something that will come in handy. Being able to distinguish between "right this second" importance and "not major" importance is something to keep in mind. You have a paper due at midnight tomorrow? OK, then that history test next week can wait one more night. You have work in 20 minutes? Alright, then that cute boy trying to carry on a conversation after class can cop the number and move along. Know your priorities, write them down if you have to, but know that if they aren't in place things just come crashing down out of nowhere, but have been there all along.

Making lists are always helpful, but a nice breath of fresh air never hurt anyone. Plan a hiking trip with a group of friends, wake up early on a Sunday and head to the mountains (or rather hills if you're in Oklahoma). Reaching the top of the peak, looking out over the valleys, dips, crevices and streams that mother nature has burrowed down until the definition is utter beauty is something that will grant you with a sense of peace. It will show you how small you actually are, but how important every living thing is and the vital importance of unity in order for the world to stay spinning on its axis. Go on a picnic, take a bike ride, go for a walk, a jog, an adventure, go somewhere that you can leave your phone at home and just be. Take in that sunshine, breathe in that glorious outside goodness and know that it is all going to work out in the end. So just take a deep breath of air and smile.

Manage your time wisely. Know when it is time to be serious and when it is OK to act like a total goof. Know when enough is enough and when you can teeter across that line just a little bit more. You have to find the balance between school work, work work and friend work.

Think of it as a yoga pose. Hands pressed together raised above your head, pointed towards the sky, chin following your palms; one foot up and resting against your inner thigh, the other maintaining all of your weight and composure. Now, the factors that come in to holding this position are seemingly endless: a breeze, your own stream of thought, focused breathing, a bump from a fellow yoga-practicer, etc. Yes, you may wobble a bit, you may stumble and have to start over, but if you are able to center all of those distractions, all of those factors into one central area, categorizing them, breathing deeply, focusing all your attention on the task at hand, the only thing that could cause you to break form is you deciding to shift poses and direction, on to the next stance.

Take control. Breathe and smile. Find an inner balance.