As a third year college student, I understand that school can really put a dent on our mental abilities to do things, usually caused by the stress that classes bring. Throughout my college experience, I’ve learned how to minimize the drastic stress that we all endure. Keep reading to hear about some of the most effective tips for minimizing your stress.
Plan Your Days Out
If you already have a planner, then this step may be right up your alley. If you don’t have one, or you prefer doing things online, I recommend using the website, My Study Life. This website is essentially a virtual planner that allows you to input any upcoming tasks or exams that you may have. You can also use it as a schedule to put your classes in and any other activities/events you may be attending that week. I’ve noticed that if you plan out a time in your day to study, rather than procrastinating, I’m more compelled to get it done sooner. One thing that maximizes our stress the most is knowing when you’re going to have time to get things done. Therefore, making sure your days are planned, may help eliminate some of that stress you’ve been carrying around all semester.
Stay Organized
Staying organized is one of the most essential steps in minimizing stress. When you’re physically unorganized, you’re more likely to be mentally unorganized (stressed)! This doesn’t mean that you have to clean your house every single day (although, it would help), but by making sure that you have all of your everyday belongings organized, you may notice that you’re not running around as much. When I misplace things, it only adds to my already existing stress, this is not what any college student needs! Something that has helped me astronomically, has been attempting to make my bed every morning after I wake up. Studies have shown that making your bed every morning can promote calmness and productivity. It takes less than five minutes to do, and it may make you feel more put together whenever you step into your room.
Fuel Your Body and Mind
Being a college student, life can really knock you out. With classes, work, and events, it’s hard to keep up energy. Without any energy, your mind isn’t able to function properly which could be one of the main causes of your stress. Of course you can always grab a coffee or an energy drink in the morning, but not everyone likes those, and they also can give you a crash later on in the day. A way to get natural energy is simply by eating breakfast in the morning. I know not everyone has the time to, but even just grabbing a protein bar before you leave for your day, would give you more energy than none. If you skip out on breakfast, try having breakfast every day for a full week and see how your body and mind feels!
At the end of the day, we’re all college students, which means we will have inevitable stress following us. Although this doesn’t mean that we can’t change some of our habits to try and fix that. The first step is the hardest, making the change. Once you add these small changes into your routine, you won’t even notice yourself thinking about them before doing them.