Everyone knows that the last three or four weeks of a semester are the busiest, most stressful weeks of the year. With tons of projects, papers and tests, these weeks often seem impossible to get through. As every college student knows, finals = stress.
We all know the stress of upcoming finals, but it often seems uncontrollable. The big question is how to keep this stress from taking control of your life. While you may think the solution is to work crazy hours until everything is finished, this is probably the worst thing you can do. Take a time-out. Listen to music, watch a show or movie, learn relaxation techniques, etc. Stepping back and taking a break from the problem, it can help to clear your head. Get enough sleep.When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest. Even if you think you’d benefit from pulling an all-nighters. Coffee may not always be your friend as it can trigger anxiety and panic attacks. Take deep breaths.Inhale and exhale, relax your mind and body. Count to 10 or even 20 if you have to. Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think it is?Because by aiming for perfection you're setting yourself up. Welcome humor. A good laugh can go a long way. Maintain a positive attitude.Make an effort to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. By using all or some of these tips, hopefully finals week will become a less stressful time. Find what works for you and hopefully you'll be successful with all your finals.
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We all know the feeling rain gives us. Napping becomes a pastime, long philosophical conversations tend to sound more appealing, we been to feel lethargic and emotional, not driven to be productive at all. As someone who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains nine months out of the year, I am no stranger to the rain. I am a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days. So when I woke up this morning and hear the light pitter patter of raindrops on my bedroom window, my heart filled with joy. Now I know that this reaction is not one that most people get. Here are some rainy day activities to hopefully keep your spirits high on a gloomy rainy day.
Clean…everything. All of that laundry you’ve been putting off? Well, now is the time to do it. Rearrange your room, go through your closet and find clothes to sell to second hand stores, and de-clutter the rest of your life while you’re at it. No, I’m being serious. Rainy days are the perfect days to accomplish things without ever leaving your room! Shops like Buffalo Exchange and Plato’s Closet offer pretty OK money for your old clothes, and as much as laundry sucks, nothing feels better than sleeping on clean sheets. Am I right or am I right? Bake I love baking, but I honestly always find myself reaching for prepackaged when it comes to sweets. Rainy days mean you can go all out. Make those paleo brownies you pinned to your Pinterest food board six months ago. They might turn out awful but you will have so much fun making them and feel pretty accomplished afterward, too! Watch YouTube Tutorials There is literally a YouTube tutorial for everything. I mean, if you haven’t watched a tutorial on how to build a piece of (life-ruining) IKEA furniture, then there is a 100 percent chance that you’re lying. In all seriousness, though, watching tutorials can be super fun and informative! I learned how to photoshop pictures and can French fishtail braid my hair all thanks to some rainy day tutorial viewing. Plan Ahead Planning ahead is something I always say that I will do and then never do. Rainy days, however, give you the opportunity to be so bored that you may just need to plan ahead. Go through your school syllabi and add all of the tests and due dates to your computer calendar and physical planner; go through your closet and plan outfit ideas so that you aren’t late to class every day because you can't decide what to wear; make a grocery list so that you don’t buy things aimlessly next time you go shopping. Plan everything, and make yourself feel productive! Read Reading on rainy days with a cup of tea is such a cliche but is also really really great and rejuvenating. You can do what I do and re-read "Harry Potter" for the 17th time or you can pick up an awesome new and non-franchise oriented book to pass the day away. Also, Trader Joe's holiday special Candy Cane Green Tea is just an A+ and you need to try it. As we grow up, our summers slowly become more and more serious. It becomes expected of us to do serious things with our lives, such as internships, taking classes, or doing ground-breaking research that will help us to be prepared for the real world which is awaiting us post-college graduation.
The summers are no longer about playing in the neighborhood swimming pool with friends from school. Or taking a couple of weeks to be shipped off to the woods to attend the summer camp you have been going to since you were eight years old. It can be depressing to ponder how easy life was in past summers, as you begin your 10-week desk job in a crowded and stressed office. But what this change really reveals is not a loss of youth, or a turn for the worse in life, but a change in life that enhances you as a person. At least that is the point of view one should take when thinking about how fast life is passing by. I experience overwhelming emotions every day when thinking about growing up, and I become stressed when thinking about how fast the whole college experience is coming to an end. But when I reflect on my life, I realize that my life is only becoming more enriched. Life is a glass, being filled with meaning, eliminating the empty space. We are learning about who we were, who we are not, and who we want to become. Life is just starting, and it is nowhere near the end -- it is the end of an easy chapter -- but an easy chapter that was missing something. It may sound dramatic, but it was a time in our lives that was missing a purpose. Could you imagine a life where every day was about finding something to do -- to go play at the pool, to go to an amusement park, or watch your favorite movies? Realistically, it doesn't sound all that bad, but already at 22 years old, I am at the point where I want my days to be filled with something to do -- something I am passionate about doing. Every few weeks or so, it is nice to take a day to sleep more, to day dream more, to take more time to do the simple things, and to relax. But these days are what should be a gift, and not a lifestyle. If every day was as relaxing as they were when we were children, then no days would be special. The days would blur together, just as most of our childhood does. There are ways to make your summers just as great as they were when you were a carefree youngster! Perhaps make your summers interesting by doing something you love in a place that you love, or a place you have never been. Start experiencing the world, because summers are the perfect time to start the new chapter in your life -- the exciting chapter of your young, yet stimulating adult years. Oh, what we wouldn’t do for an extra hour or two during the day for some “me time.” But making yourself the top priority is hard when you have aseemingly endless to-do list of family, work, and school obligations. Taking care of ourselves is a crucial part of living a full life.
When you treat yourself well, it will trickle down to everything else in life—your partner, children, classmates, coworkers etc. Whether it is going to a park to read a book for a half hour, treating yourself to a pedicure, or trying that new yoga class, here are 10 tips to carve out some time for yourself! Schedule it We schedule doctor’s appointments and work meetings, why not schedule some “me time”? Pencil it into your calendar lender just like you would for any other important event. It may seem silly, but this is how you will be able to remind yourself, and hold yourself accountable, to giving yourself some alone time.Make it countWhile it may be tempting to spend your free time running errands or catching up on school work, commit to spending the time to pamper yourself. Start a craft, or enjoy a warm cup of tea. You don’t have to spend a lot of time, but it has to be for yourself. Find tasks that you can delegate Some things are just easier for you to do yourself, but find other tasks that you can ask others to help you with. Ask a roommate to pick up a few grocery items if you know she is already going to the store. Lighten the load when you can—it will make a huge difference! Check your email at designated times You will save a lot of time if you set certain times to check your email. Checking it four times a day, or every two hours, instead of every 15 minutes, will give you some extra time. How often do you really need to be checking email? Gimme 5Even if five minutes is all you can muster, take it! Spend that 5 minutes breathing deeply, going for a walk outside, or just sitting quietly by yourself. That can be all it takes to recharge for the rest of the day. Say no, gracefully It is great to help out your friends and family when they ask. But if the favors they ask begin to cut into your ‘me time,’ it is okay to create a buffer. Tell them that you are happy to help, but you will need 20 minutes (or whatever time feels right) before you can do it. Get up EarlierYou have probably heard this suggestion before, and trust me it isn’t easy. This time, actually give it a try! Try it for a week straight, and then decide if it is for you. Set your alarm for 15 minutes before you would normally wake up. Use that time to be quiet, write in a journal, or engage in any activity that restores you. Use your shower time Taking a shower may be your only naturally built in alone time during the day. Take advantage of it! Purchase some aroma therapy products that you love and treat each shower like it is a spa getaway. Take some deep breaths and let the warm water wash away any tension that you were having. Maximize your commute Most of us spend a lot of time in our cars driving to work, school and running errands. Instead of listening to music or podcasts, use that time to enjoy a brief period of quiet. Remember why it is important Taking care of yourself can leave you feeling guilty; you aren’t spending time with your family or doing work. Keep in mind that carving out time for yourself is vital for keeping yourself healthy, and that means a happier family and more productive work and school life. Friends: in a sum of many definitions, are those who you surround yourself with. These people you meet in different parts of your life; from down the street to school to work friends, they are all important. In two decades you learn a lot about people and about you, especially through those who you surround yourself with. In your twenties, you begin to realize the effects that your friends have on you and the energy you surround yourself with more than ever before. Its important to remember that not all friendships are the same and with that they all need something different to keep them going. Here are some of my thoughts about friendships in your twenties.
1. You begin to build a strong group of friends You realize having a go-to group of friends is essential for everything that life throws your way, whether it is an opportunity to travel or a group you can ask advice from, having a strong group of friends reminds you there are people that will have your back. 2. You keep more close friends with you rather than a large amount of acquaintances. You have the friends you hang out with or friends from class, but all you need are those few people that you tell your every thought too. These friends are there for you through all of your tough decisions, heartbreak, and adventures. Friendships like these come from time and trust. 3. You stop talking about people and rather share insights, goals, and aspirations. Sure there can be drama anywhere, but you talk more of interests and goals with friends rather than the silly high school gossip that you are happy remains back when you were sixteen. 4. Just because you do not constantly talk with or see them, it does not mean you aren’t any closer of friends. There is much less pressure to constantly need to be with friends, and instead, you respect each other lives or their schedule. Your friendships are established and the time you have with each other you value even more. 5. You become comfortable talking about difficult topics, and respect when you have different views or opinions. In addition to your friendships growing, you are growing yourself. You develop your own opinions and views as do your friends. And, in your twenties, you reach a point in your friendships where you are interested in not only learning about other opinions but growing your own, and within talking to your friends you have a comfortable space to do so. 6. You accept that not all friendships last, but that doesn’t mean you regret them. You think of that friendship that didn't last, and you wonder why it didn't. You accept that sometimes things do not work out but that person was a part of your life for some length of time. They attribute in some way to who you have become and respect that out of the friendship you had, regardless of the outcome and how you went separate ways. 7. Your friends become more than friends -- they become more like family. This is, if any, the most important point to add. Through anything, your friends have become like family. Outside of the family you have, friends become a close circle you consider family, and they become a part of the one you already have. From experience, my friends have become a part of the family I already had, without me even realizing it. Even though it's a cheesy expression, the friends and relationships you have developed are there through thick and thin, and they are ones that you know you have for a reason and for a lifetime. Friends are the family you get to choose. Life can be stressful. We all have deadlines that must be met and obligations that we must commit to and as it all piles up, stress is right there waiting for us. We always hear about stress being an enemy to our good health. Stress can lead to physical symptoms like headaches, increased blood pressure, and insomnia. Stress can even play a part in long term problems like heart attacks, arthritis, and asthma. However, a recent study shows that stress may only be detrimental when viewed as negative. Health psychologist, Dr. Kelly McGonigal, explores how seeing stress in a more positive way can actually reduce the risk of stress-related health issues. So the next time you are in a stressful situation and your heart begins to beat a little bit faster, or maybe you start to sweat, you may want to interpret some of these actions and begin to think positively about these symptoms. Your body's response is preparing you to conquer your stressful task and the actions outlined in the video will allow you to reduce the negative health effects of stress. How you think about stress matters, so think positive about it. To hear about and learn the actions you can take check out what Dr Kelly McGonigal has to say in her awesome TedTalk. |
AuthorI am a Public Relation and Advertising student and I spend my days working on finishing my degree from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Archives |