Stress Less: Tackling the Semester Without Anxiety

Hey guys! I talked a little while ago about my favorite ways to unwind, but I think I still have the problem of what to do when I don’t have exorbitant amounts of time to relax. As my lack of a blog post may have indicated, my school schedule blindsided me this past week and I wasn’t handling the stress well. But with that in mind, I was tired of freaking out and feeling overwhelmed, and so I formulated some attack strategies! These are all ideas that I have already implemented or will implement very soon to fight the little anxiety monster that rears its head in new situations.

Map Out Your Events

I have this tendency to start a list in my head of all the things I need to do, now and in the distant future, all the due dates and meetings and even social events, and I let them pile up and cause panic. Instead, putting everything on a calendar lets me visually take in the busyness of each week and come up with a better plan. I actually made two separate calendars from this easy template, one for extracurriculars and one for strictly schoolwork. Although I was worried this would make me feel even more overwhelmed, it actually made everything seem more manageable. Yes there are going to be some crazy weeks, but there will also be some weeks with big long breaks, and that is reassuring.

And just in case my calendar isn’t pretty enough for you, Alisa Burke, one of my all-time favorite bloggers, has a beautiful, free download one here!

Make a Daily List               

Another helpful thing for me to manage my events is to sit down every evening and make a list of the things I plan to accomplish the following day. I begin this chronologically, with bookends such as waking up, lunch, class, and bedtime. I then fill in each block with the assignments I must do and club meetings or socials, separated with small breaks of non-school activities such as blogging, cooking, or even doing a little picking up around the house. It is important to keep this list as realistic as possible or it may be frustrating. I do occasionally put more things on the list than I can easily manage in an “if I have time section”, but I have to do so with the mindset that I won’t accomplish everything, and that is okay. I also will shuffle things around within a block, and that is also completely acceptable. The list is not supposed to stress you out more, and if it does, you might need to find something different to do!

Get Better Sleep

Now the only problem with the listing above is that I get to 11:00 at night and want to start doing more things! Instead, I need to start winding down at this time, do a little reading or watch a little Netflix (and a do mean A LITTLE), or even take a nice bath. (Side note: I’ve been coveting Lush bath bombs lately and need your recommendations!) I’ll even allow myself to blog or journal a little, as writing is a very relaxing activity for me. Regardless though, keeping my evenings in check and my sleep more regular is bound to make me feel better and less stressed. (For the record though, I am still working on this one.)

Get Going in the Morning

On the completely other hand, I find I feel better and less stressed if I get my mornings going! Cooking up something a little fancy and putting together something sassy to wear stimulates those happy, creative parts of my brain and starts my day off right. Additionally, doing an activity that has me on my feet, like washing dishes or picking up, helps me fight the morning sleepies.

Get More Involved

This may seem counterintuitive, but having a little more on my plate helps me be less stressed! There is a balance that you have to find, and I’m working towards that myself, but things like meetings for organizations help keep me on track and keep me busy, which makes me feel more productive and therefore less stressed. If you are experiencing early-semester anxiety, it might be because you have too little to do rather than too much!

Have a Hustle Day!

This term, coined by my older sister Samantha, is actually one of the best courses for stress management, in my humble opinion. Having one day over the weekend, or even a few hours each day, where you sit down and get things done makes for a much less stressful week. The difference from a weekday is that your schedule isn’t as rigid. I like to accomplish equal parts creativity, schoolwork, and “adulting” (getting groceries, doing laundry, etc) on these days so that they are both enjoyable and productive.

Have Some Fun

When it comes down to it, don’t let your week pass by without something that is just plain fun. Sometimes that is a date night out with boy, or a movie night in with my sister, but planning something that will make me laugh and smile gets me reinvigorated to deal with all the less-fun school stuff. I don’t really “party hard” per say, but sometimes an evening jamming out to Panic! At the Disco in the kitchen is all you need!

How do you guys fight stress during a busy school semester? Also, what about those Lush recommendations?

Stay lovely,