Healthy Buffs: 5 tips for stressing less this week
The right amount of stress can keep us motivated, but too much of it can take a toll on our physical and mental health. It鈥檚 important to find healthy ways to manage stress, especially during finals and the holidays. Here鈥檚 our quick guide to stressing less this week.
Plan your time
When you feel like there鈥檚 just too much to get done and not enough time to do it all, start by writing it all out. Jot down every upcoming assignment, project and due date. Then, plan your time backwards, prioritizing your to do list based on deadlines. Plan out exactly when you will get things done and commit to the schedule. Preparing in advance may not create more time, but it can help you to visualize your time and how to best use it.
Ready to get started? You can keep track of everything using your planner or computer. You can also use an organizer app like (free on iOS and Android).
Take care of your needs
When we feel overwhelmed, we can sometimes forget to take care of our most basic needs. Set reminders on your phone to drink a full water bottle every few hours, pack plenty of healthy snacks before hitting the library, plan for at least 7 hours of sleep per night and don鈥檛 be afraid to work in a 20-minute power nap here and there too.
If you need help building healthy habits, you can use , a free app for tracking good habits that also rewards you for meeting goals. Or, if sleep is a bigger obstacle, try out for soothing sounds to shut your mind off before bed. Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) also offers a free Sleep Skills workshop to help you identify why your thoughts are keeping you awake, how to quiet them and how to develop better sleep habits.
Take breaks
Research shows that studying for hours on end can do more harm than good. Instead, try this study strategy: set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on the task at hand. Afterwards, take a 5-minute break to walk around, talk to a friend or grab a snack. Repeat the cycle three more times, then take a 30-minute break to refresh.
Evaluate your expectations
Stress feeds off of unrealistic expectations and pressure. It鈥檚 important that we check in with ourselves periodically to evaluate our expectations and where they may be coming from. If you鈥檙e pressuring yourself to be perfect, it may hinder your ability to actually perform well. Talking to a friend can offer some perspective and help you let go of things that may not be worth your mental energy.
Want to get professional advice? Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) offers Let鈥檚 Talk, a free service that provides informal and confidential consolations with trained counselors around campus. Let鈥檚 Talk counselors can help provide insight, solutions and information about additional resources.
Practice self-care
If you鈥檙e still feeling stressed, consider taking a moment to relax and engage in some self-care activities like watching an episode on Netflix, getting some physical activity, spending time in nature or catching up with a friend.
Stressed about finals? Find a list of free finals events, top study spots and more by visiting .