How To Reduce Stress While in College

At any given point in time, most college students are stressed about something; it's just part of going to school. While having stress in your life is normal and often unavoidable, being stressed is something you can control. Follow these ten tips to learn how to keep your stress in check and how to relax when it gets to be too much.

Here's How:

1. Most Importantly: Don't Stress About Being Stressed
   This may seem ridiculous at first, but it is listed first for a reason: when you're feeling stressed, you feel like you're on edge and everything is barely being held together. Don't beat yourself up too badly about it! It's all normal, and the best way to handle stress is to not get more stressed about . . . being stressed. If you're stressed out, admit it and figure out how to handle it. Focusing on it will only make things seem worse.
2. Get Some Sleep
   Being in college means your sleep schedule is, most likely, far from ideal. Getting more sleep can help your mind refocus, recharge, and rebalance. This can mean a quick nap, a night when you go to bed early, or a promise to yourself to stick with a regular sleep schedule. Sometimes, one good night's sleep can be all you need to hit the ground running amidst a stressful time.
3. Get Some Food
   Similar to your sleep habits, your eating habits may have gone by the wayside when you started school. Think about what -- and when -- you've eaten over the past few days. You may think your stress is psychological, but you could also be feeling physical stress (and the "Freshman 15") if you're not fueling your body appropriately. Go eat something balanced and healthy: fruits and veggies, whole grains, protein. Make your mama proud with what you choose for dinner tonight! Lastly, if your meal plan itself is one more thing making you stressed, learn how to pick a plan that's right for you.
4. Get Some Exercise
   You may think that if you don't have the time to sleep and eat properly, you definitely don't have the time to exercise. Fair enough, but if you're feeling stressed, it may be that you need to squeeze it in somehow. Exercise doesn't necessarily have to involve a 2-hour, exhausting workout at the campus gym. It can mean a relaxing, 30-minute walk while listening to your favorite music. In fact, in a little over an hour, you can 1) walk 15 minutes to your favorite off-campus restaurant, 2) eat a quick and healthy meal, 3) walk back, and 4) take a power nap. Imagine how much better you'll feel!
5. Get Some Quiet Time
   Take one moment and think: when was the last time you had some quality, quiet time alone? Personal space for students in college rarely exists. You may share your room, your bathroom, your classrooms, your dining hall, the gym, the bookstore, the library, and anywhere else you go during an average day. Finding a few moments of peace and quiet - with no cell phone, roommates, or crowds - might be just what you need. Stepping out from the crazy college environment for a few minutes can do wonders for reducing your stress.
   
6. Get Some Social Time
   Have you been working on that English paper for 3 days straight? Can you even see what you're writing anymore for your Chemistry lab? You could be stressed because you're being too focused on getting things done. Don't forget that your brain is like a muscle, and even it needs a break every once in a while! Take a break and see a movie. Grab some friends and go out dancing. Hop a bus and hang out downtown for a few hours. Having a social life is an important part of your college experience, so don't be afraid to keep it in the picture when you're stressed. It could be when you need it most!
   
7. Get Some Fun
   You may be stressed about one particular thing: a final paper due Monday, a class presentation due Thursday. You basically just need to sit down and plow through it. If this is the case, try to figure out how to make it a little more fun and enjoyable. Is everyone writing final papers? Agree to work together in your room for 2 hours and then order pizza together for dinner. Do a lot of your classmates have huge presentations to put together? See if you can reserve a classroom or room in the library where you can all work together and share supplies. You may just lower everyone's stress level.
8. Get Some Distance
   You may be handling your own problems and trying to help others around you. While this can be nice for them, check in and be honest with yourself about how your helpful demeanor may be causing more stress in your life. It's okay to take a step back and focus on yourself for a little while, especially if you are stressed and your academics are at risk. After all, how can you keep helping others if you're not even in a state to help yourself? Figure out which things are causing you the most stress and how you can take a step back from each. And then, most importantly, take that step.
9. Get a Little Help
   It can be hard to ask for help, and unless your friends are psychic, they may not know how stressed out you are. Most college students are going through the same things at the same thing, so don't feel silly if you need to just vent for 30 minutes over coffee with a friend. It may help you process out what you need to do, and help you realize that the things you are so stressed about are actually pretty manageable. If you're afraid of dumping too much on a friend, most colleges have counseling centers specifically for their students. Don't be afraid to make an appointment if you think it will help.
10. Get Some Perspective
    College life can be overwhelming. You want to hang out with your friends, join clubs, explore off campus, join a fraternity or sorority, and be involved in the campus newspaper. It can sometimes feel like there aren't enough hours in the day . . . because there aren't. There's only so much any person can handle, but you need to remember the reason why you're in school: academics. No matter how exciting your co-curricular life can be, you won't be able to enjoy any of it if you don't pass your classes. Make sure to keep your eye on the prize and then head out and change the world!
    
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How to Stay Organized Amidst the Chaos of Balancing Work, Life and School

Have you ever stepped back and realized that life is extremely chaotic and we are constantly going, going, going? From working overtime to making dinner to the kids’ soccer games, the list can go on and on.
Now throw studying in the mix if you are pursuing a degree; the feeling can at first be overwhelming.
In order to stay afloat in a hectic world, organization is key. It will be helpful to utilize the following tips so you adopt a systematic approach instead of just flying by the seat of your pants.
It’s interesting to note that organized people are characterized by the following traits: efficient, punctual and reliable. Wouldn’t we all wish to be like that? By implementing some simple strategies, someone who considers themselves disorganized will be able to become a more efficient and effective person.

First and foremost, evaluate your current organization strategies.

• Do you compile a daily to-do list?
• What does your desk look like?
• Do you have a pile of papers lying around your house in no particular order?

Assessing how you prioritize your daily activities and tasks will help determine whether you are working efficiently or against yourself. Also, throw out any old/outdated papers or file them away if you absolutely cannot part ways with them.

Second, establish a plan.
Prioritizing and time management are vital skills to implement when creating a plan. Prioritizing helps decrease that overwhelming feeling, and it’s an effective way to determine what tasks are truly time sensitive and need attention immediately versus the tasks that are less important.
Additionally, prioritizing should mean creating checklists, which ultimately allow you to stay on task (time management) and not get sidetracked by the inevitable daily distractions.
When you’ve finally established a plan and developed some strategies, it’s time to utilize them. Don’t let your hard work go to waste; think about how much more effective and valuable you will be. Most importantly, it’s you who has the opportunity to direct your life, so try to do it in the way that is most beneficial to you.

How to Relax over College Holiday Breaks

Shifting from the Chaos of the Semester Often Takes a Little Bit of Work

With every college semester comes stress for college students: Homework. Papers. Midterms. Managing a social life. Managing your finances. And last but not least: Finals.

Once the semester ends, however, how can you relax and unwind?

1. Finish any homework early. If you have papers, research, or other academic work to finish over the break, finish it relatively early. Once you get everything done, your mind will really be able to relax and let go.
2. Take time to reflect on last semester. It may seem silly, but even a few hours of critical thinking about what went well -- and what didn't -- last semester will help clear your mind and get you ready for next semester.
3. Take time to reflect on next semester. Thinking about what you want to do next semester -- managing your time better, exercising, meeting more people -- can help you be mentally ready when the next semester starts. And planning on ways things will be better can help eliminate stress around what the future will bring.
4. Do things that aren't goal-oriented. During the semester, you probably have fifteen things going on at the same time, all of which are goal-oriented: doing homework so you can write that paper or lab report. Reading that article so you can contribute to class discussion or a group project. As a break for you mind, read something just to read it. Attend an event without taking notes. Let your brain relax and enjoy.
5. Mentally let yourself relax. You've been going at such a fast pace during the semester that your brain may need to be reminded that it's actually okay not to be running a million miles an hour. Give your brain the permission to veg.
6. Volunteer. Volunteering is always good for getting some perspective, always good for your spirit, always good for people in need. Conclusion: it's always good. Try it.
7. Connect with your support networks. If you're at home over a break, connect with the systems that support you the best. Friends, family, a familiar hangout, your church/temple/mosque: they all help connect you to what's important and, consequently, let the stress slip away.

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