5 Tips To Lighten Your Back-to-School Stress Load

by A Guest Author

Summer is nearing it's bittersweet end, and the days of the school grind are coming back to haunt you... College doesn’t have to be all that scary or stressful though. Whether you’re a first-time student or you’ve been crashin’ classes for a few semesters (or years) now, we’ve got you covered on how to handle academia stress, balance everything out and even have time for yourself.

Prioritize

Ever notice how each of your professors seems to think your whole world revolves around their one class? The amount of work and assignments they pile on you all at once makes you wonder if they realize you have a life outside the confines of their classroom doors. Before you start freaking out because four of your classes dropped a ton of work on you all at once - breathe. Then, prioritize. Sort out which assignments are due first and which are the most pressing. For example, if you have a paper due on Wednesday and a huge exam on Friday, make sure you get the paper done first before worrying about being all studied up for the exam. The test may be a bigger deal to you because you’re unprepared and worried about it, but it simply makes the most sense to take care of things in the order of when they’re due.

Don’t Leave Things Until The Last Minute

No matter how tempting it is to blow everything off, party your way through the week, and not worry about getting your work done until an hour or two before class starts, don’t do it. While it’s true that some people work best under stress, it doesn’t mean you should apply that mantra to all areas of your life. In general you will end up overwhelming yourself, not doing the best job you could do, and possibly not even being able to get it all done. As in the example above with finishing the paper and studying for your exam, although the paper is priority and needs attention first, make sure you are also reviewing for the exam little by little. You will feel less overwhelmed this way rather than leaving all of your studying for the last minute, thus having to cram way too much information into your brain at once. Not very effective.

Get Enough Sleep

This is the golden rule for life in general, not just college. Anything can feel overwhelming when you have to face it on 3 or 4 hours of sleep. Your brain and body are not fully recharged and therefore cannot respond as well as they should to situations, especially those of a stressful nature. Not to mention skimping on your 8 hours can lead to a variety of health conditions including diabetes and obesity. And check this out. Our body releases healing hormones between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am, which help to strengthen our immune system and combat illness. So if you’re not in dreamland between these hours, you’re missing out. We know it’s unrealistic to be in bed by 10 every night when you’re in college. But do try your best to get to sleep before midnight - your health will thank you for it later.

Work It Out

Exercise can do wonders for your mind and body. While we realize when you’re drowning in papers and textbooks going out for a jog in the last thing on your mind, doing as little as 20 minutes of physical activity a day can actually help reduce your stress levels. It refreshes and recharges you, calming you down and making everything seem more manageable.

Make Time For You

Amidst your college workload, you may feel like you barely have time to blink an eye let alone do something for your own pleasure, but don’t let your needs and hobbies fall by the wayside. A balanced life is a life well-lived. And while you’re improving your life in so many great ways by getting your college education, don’t forget to nurture your other passions as well. For example, maybe you really enjoy rock climbing. Reserve a morning or afternoon when you don’t have class and go climb for a couple hours. And don’t feel guilty about it or like you’re slacking on your school work because you chose to spend a little time doing something that makes you smile. It’s important and healthy for your mental (and physical) state to continue to engage in your favorite activities. Think of it as a much needed mini-vacation that you are well deserving of.

Guest Author:

Kristen Bright is the social media consultant for Instant CheckmateInstant Checkmate is a personal criminal background check provider, and does not perform employment screening of any kind.

This post was written by A Guest Author

This post was written by a guest author. If you have high quality, useful information to share with students, send us an email or click Write For Us to learn more. And in case you're wondering - yes, you can promote yourself in this fancy author byline.

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