Have you ever just started crying in the dining hall? Or, thrown your textbook at the wall? Or, laid on your carpet and screamed at the ceiling? All of the above? Me too. It’s really hard to remain calm in college when it feels like you’re being pushed in a million directions and concurrently trying to figure out your life.
It’s really difficult to balance all of the parts of life. It’s something I’ve written about in the past. I’m constantly juggling work, a social life, college and a blog. I am not a very calm person, but sometimes I get into really good places where I can totally keep my cool.
And when I’m able to remain calm in college, I take note of what helped me to feel that way. And then I use those notes to make a blog post…and to reference them in the future when I’m drowning in deadlines and obligations. On weeks like this, when I have four interviews, six assignment deadlines and my best friend’s birthday weekend happening, this post is extra necessary and useful.
1. Find an Organization System that Works
I have so many posts about being organized in college. Absorb them. If your organization system isn’t working, even though your Pinterest board and fave YouTuber swear it’s saved their life, chuck it. Try a new one.
If the system isn’t working, you’re not the problem. The system is. There’s one for everyone, no matter how messy or offbeat it may be. I always love the Reminders app (catch me mentioning it in every damn post I write).
2. Give Yourself Breaks
“I can’t take a break! I have too much shit to do!” or “I don’t have time to eat/sleep/relax!” are two things I say multiple times per week. It’s dramatic as hell. It’s also really not true. No matter how busy I am, I always have time to take a break, eat some pasta and go to sleep at a reasonable hour.
I make things really urgent and time-consuming in my brain and convince myself that taking even the smallest ten-minute break would destroy my productivity. Uh, no. This brings me to my next point…
3. Bring Yourself Down to Earth
Being stressed is often tied to being very dramatic. Oftentimes I end up hyping assignments up in my mind. Deadlines are tighter than they really are. Everything is so much bigger and more important than it really is! It’s nuts. It’s like I’m sabotaging myself and avoiding being calm in college at all costs.
Take a moment to give yourself a reality check. Maybe things are bad, but they probably aren’t as bad as you think. Or, if you’re really great at being dramatic (me), turn to a trusty friend for a reality check. My best friend Kiera is very good at these, and can often be found talking me out of my deciding to never take a break.
4. Prioritize Alone Time
It’s so hard to be alone in college, especially when dealing with one or multiple roommates. It’s also hard to resist constant social interaction when you’re surrounded by friends all of the time.
Take some steps to deal with FOMO, and let yourself be alone. In the long run, taking breaks from being social will help keep you calm.
5. Clean Out Your Bags/Desk/Closet Often
Cleaning a little bit each week means the mess won’t build up to the point where it feels overwhelming. It’s really easy to put off doing a massive overhaul of your black hole of a closet, but it’s difficult to put off hanging up a few shirts.
6. Make a (Loose) Schedule for Chores
If you have a set time to do laundry, clean your room and other chores that can oftentimes fall through the cracks or become a burden, you’ll be able to stay on top of them and not worry as much. These time frames can be vague, like a day or chunk of time, to allow yourself a bit of wiggle room.
That being said, don’t panic if the schedule doesn’t work out. I always do laundry on Thursday mornings, but sometimes I have interviews or meetings. I simply push the laundry to later in the day. I always know it’ll get done around Thursday so it makes me feel better about the chore. It isn’t something to worry about when and if I can do it, it’s just a task I know I’ll get done.
7. Stay in Touch with People You Love
When you’re feeling really stressed and busy, it can be easy to throw yourself into your work and get suck in your head. Avoid this! Sometimes just hearing the voice of a family member or best friend can make you feel calm and relaxed. Even simply spending time with a friend can boost your mood and help you keep calm.
8. Make Concrete Social Plans
These give you something to look forward to, which can be very calming and comforting when you’re dealing with a lot. I love having a girls’ night in or even a movie night to look forward to while I’m struggling with a busy week.
If social plans give you more stress, however, make concrete plans to relax and enjoy your favorite Netflix show or paint your nails.
9. Ask for Help & Say No
If you’re drowning in responsibilities and obligations, utilize the people around you. Ask for your co-worker to cover your shift. Ask if your friend can help you with an assignment. Ask for tutoring. Say no to extra obligations. Say no to picking up an extra shift.
Don’t be afraid to lean on someone else when you really need to. And don’t feel bad for not being able to do everything.
10. Remember, Life Goes On
Ah, my tattoo reference. These three words (almost) always help me feel calm. No matter how stressed and panicked I am, these moments will not be forever. Life goes on and it’ll keep going.
What helps calm you down?
