Dealing with Stress in College
I’ve been trying to post more (and failing), but today I have a treat for you! Maddie of MaddieWrites shared this guest post about stress in college. We all know how stressful college is, so this is perfect! Read her post below and remember to check out her blog! Do you want to guest post on Samanthability? I love to feature new writers and bloggers! Learn more here!
College is stressful. We all know trying to keep up with classes, exams, clubs, jobs, and taking care of yourself is difficult. Stress in college leads to not so good grades, exhaustion, and sickness, which is everything you want to avoid. Less stress equals success (I didn’t even mean to rhyme there, but hey it works.) I’m here to give you my tips on how I de-stress during the semester, and how I avoid a lot of stress.
Plan & Prioritize
Plan your days your week, and your month. This may seem like a lot of work, but planning increases productivity and helps you manage your time more efficiently. Make to-do lists for your day or week (check out my post on how to write an effective to-do list here). Space out your projects and papers so you’re not rushing the day before it’s due.
I used to be infamous for procrastinating, but after spending a few minutes every morning planning my day, I’ve felt more relaxed and more like I have my sh*t together. I have a weekly planner worksheet available for download, and guess what! It’s free! To download my free (yes, free!!) weekly planner worksheet, click here.
Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is so so so important! Eat health foods, meditate, exercise, take naps. Do whatever it is that helps you relax and de-stress. Exercising a few times, a week helps give you a clear mind. I run three times a week, and after I always feel so refreshed. Eating healthy will also keep you feeling refreshed and relaxed. Comfort food is obviously a must-have in college, but it does tend to make us lazier, which leads to procrastination, which leads to stress, and it’s just a vicious cycle. Everything is good in moderation so treat yourself to comfort food once in a while, which leads me to my next tip…
Treat Yourself
After you study, write your paper, or do some homework, reward yourself. It’s important to give yourself things to look forward to. Having fun is essential to de-stressing, so after a stressful week or day, go paint your nails, or go get them done, spend a night eating junk food and watching movies, have a girl’s night with your friends, or go out for a nice dinner.
Study in Quiet Spaces
Trying to study or work is almost impossible when you’re surrounded by lots of commotion. If you live on campus it can be hard to find a quiet space to study in your residence hall, so find a space on campus to escape all the chaos such as the library, or a courtyard. If you commute, find a space at home, or on campus where there are limited distractions so you can keep your focus.
Take Breaks
Studying for a long period of time without breaks can be ineffective. You’ll go crazy if you just stare at your notes, for hours, trying to retain all the information you can. Taking 15 to 30-minute breaks from writing or studying will help you stay sane in college. So, take a break and drink some water, eat a snack or grab a coffee, you’ll be more focused once you get back to those notes.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Pulling an all-nighter when you have to get up for an 8 a.m. class? No thank you. Go to bed earlier and make sure you get plenty of sleep. Being exhausted only creates more stress, and leads to procrastinating. If you plan your week right, you should be able to get everything done at a reasonable time, which leaves more time for you to get some much-needed sleep. Don’t forget to download my free weekly planner worksheet!
What are your tips for dealing with stress in college?
Maddie is a college student, passionate writer, aspiring journalist, and social media marketer. She’s majoring in communications and media studies. She is a full-time student, a part-time hostess, and a part-time blogger. She loves writing helping people, so she decided to create her own blog to provide college students tips for navigating college, potential careers, and other aspects of life. Visit her blog MaddieWrites.com.
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