Sometimes college’s overwhelming requirements crams to-do lists, mountaintops of information, important test dates, and a bucket-load of stress into our mental well-being. And we are just so caught up in trying to deal with everything that we forget about our physical needs. We forget to stop.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Facing the many obstacles of secondary education and adulthood makes being physically healthy difficult because we’re mentally being pushed into a pool of disorder. It’s crucially important to remember that you’re a human first and a student second, so take care of your body and well-being with these tips.
- Walk.
Even if you have 1000+1 assignments due tomorrow. Even if you’re really trying your best to understand a certain calculus problem that you’ve been working on for over 5 minutes. Even if you really need to write this essay so you can finish other assignments. When you feel overwhelmed with everything you have to accomplish, go outside for some fresh air. It’s easier than exercise but still releases similar benefits. Look up at the sky. Appreciate the vintage architecture of our historical school. Smell the scent of autumn. Feel the dead leaves falling from living trees. The world around you can teach you an important lesson to remember about life: it goes on.
Speak with friends from high school
Humans are extremely social animals. You may find it hard to find new friends or your new friends are all stressed out too. So then, don’t forget about the ones who’ve applauded you at your best and held your hand at your worst. The rush of new priorities, new experiences, and new people can drown out the need for old friends to link up with each other, but the best thing about being away from them is that when you reconnect, you both are filled with stories and stressful situations that make small talk less awkward, rekindling that bond you used to have. By the time you’re finished, you would have forgotten what exactly you were so worried about (hopefully).
2. EAT.
Thousands of people—not only college students, but employees and even employers—skip the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Breakfast is exactly what it is, break(ing a) fast. You’ve been sleeping for about 7 hours (or at least we hope). That’s 7 hours of NOT EATING! Do you really think you’ll be that much more productive or your ideas more insightful and worthy if your brain is starving? Take advantage of the little things like a breakfast that mean the world to people around the world not given the same opportunity (or forced to be given the same opportunity. MEAL PLANS ARE EXPENSIVE SO GET YOUR MONEY’S WORTH)
3. Make your bed.
Speaking of little things, make your bed. You may be contemplating whether it’s worth the time and effort to make your bed when you could be cramming. But the feeling of completing a task—no matter how small—is rewarding in the sense that it will persuade you to try and complete more tasks. Additionally, an ordinary room automatically looks 10x better with a made bed. Ever clean your room, walk out, and come back in forgetting how beautiful and organized your room looks? Part of the reason behind your satisfaction is from your beautiful bed Try cleaning up the room but leaving the bed unmade. It’s not the same beauty!
And I wasn’t kidding about cleaning your room. Decluttering your room also declutters your mind.
4. Stop working. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Make time. Make time to stop working, stop regurgitating, and stop memorizing. Just pause for a moment, breathe and reflect. You can start your day off by just stopping and thinking of why you’re here. What is it that makes you special? What is it that motivates you to tackle all those assignments you keep stressing about? Think. Don’t think about all the work you have to do (do that the night before). Think about why you do the work you do. Don’t forget the purpose of college: to learn. Not to get the highest grade or to make your mom proud. College pushes you into a deeper world of intellect and enrichment. Remember the underlying goal: to live and to learn.
For more information, visit:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-making-your-bed-every-morning-can-improve-your-
life.html
Original article found on Hercampus.com/Mercer.
http://www.blossomthecreativist.com
Breathing is one of the most underutilized techniques for stress, I find myself having to use it daily when dealing with disgruntled clients
Oh wow, I wonder what you do. But yes I agree. Breathing is essential! I mean, if you don’t do it, you die.
Definitely. We kinda just overlook it because it’s second nature to most of us, but no one ever thinks of it for stress mitigation. Thanks for stopping by!
These are REALLY great tips, not just for college students, but for anyone in the working world. Thanks for sharing, I’ll have to remind myself of them next time I find myself stressed at work!
xo – Michelle
http://www.borncreativeblog.com
No problem, I’m glad I was able to help someone out today. Thank you for stopping by!
Hey Michelle, thanks for stopping by. I’m glad I was able to share something of benefit to you!
Such good tips and while as simple as they seem, I forget all the time that these are essential to being well and keeping on top of things during times of stress!
Kyah – http://www.weekendtempo.com
Kyah, I’m the same way. I feel that teaching is the best form of learning, so I always refer to this post whenever I feel like I can’t bear it all. Thanks for stopping by!
Great post. It is so important to find balance in our life and time for working out.
https://freshfashioneveryday.wordpress.com/
These are simple but awesome tips. The tip that got my attention is making your bed. I can say that this is the first task we need to accomplish every morning. When we do this, bigger tasks seems to be simpler. I also going home and lying on a beautiful bed! Awesome post! xx
http://www.prettyweirdbombshell.com