Time management is key for stress management

Freshman depression and the sophomore slump; junior jitters and senior-itis.  Our feverish longing for summer manifests itself in many ways.  The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, but the reality of responsibility crushes the daydreams and returns us to sobriety.

The semester is drawing to a close and the urge to drop your backpack and say, “screw it” is hard to fight.  You are dreading putting off the end-of-the-semester assignments, and they are silently stalking you through the brickwork jungle of campus, waiting to pounce

There’s no reason to sugar coat it; stress is something you are going to feel.  The nightmare of defaulting on your obligations leads to sleepless nights that affect your performance.

There’s hope to turn things around, but in this economy, nothing comes for free.  Time is money, and it all comes down to how we manage that time.

Try shaving 10 minutes from meal times.  It adds up to 30 minutes a day that you can use to sit down and actually accomplish something.

Don’t skip breakfast.  That morning pot of coffee makes you alert, but it doesn’t provide the calories you need to function, and the last thing you need to be is a neurotic caffeine-zombie

Limit your Facebook use. Our lives tend to revolve around being connected, but sometimes you need to step back.  You can function without it, and it might be helpful to avoid the distractions and see classmates in person.

Power naps are a godsend.  If you’re dozing off while reading, don’t fight it.  Grab a quick bit of shut eye and rest your overworked brain.  Just don’t let that 15 minutes turn into an afternoon.

Although the weather has finally become agreeable, make sure if you take a break from studying to go outside and enjoy the sunshine that remind yourself; it is only a break.

The library is a great place to study, but so is the library lawn.  Sitting in the sun while studying limits the time you waste daydreaming about sitting in the sun.

There are many more ways to strike your delicate balance of time, and we all benefit from sharing our tips with each other.  A bit of encouragement or a sliver of advice go a long way for someone who is struggling, so spread the word.