Congratulations! We have officially passed the middle of the 2022-2023 fall semester. We should celebrate, no? Midterms are (mostly) behind us: Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, there are only about two months of 2022 left. Well, the reality is that some of us might not exactly be in a celebratory mood. Some of us might be dissatisfied with midterm grades, or may not have been able to recover from the fatigue that the exam season has put us through. It is completely normal to feel tired, a little stressed, and maybe even on the edge of a burnout. The important thing now is to have a recovery plan to ensure you can get back on your feet. Here are a few tips and tricks to deal with this mid-semester crisis.
Self-care
We have all heard of the importance of self-care; all those TikToks about self-care routines, face masks, movie nights, and uninstalling social media. People often misunderstand that self-care should happen only in times of crisis, but there are simple ways to practice self-care daily. In fact, look at self-care as separated in two categories: preventive and relaxative. Preventive self-care can look like an adequate sleep schedule, a balanced diet, a healthy intake of water, study breaks, and regular workouts. The mind and body are both at risk of submitting to exhaustion during stressful times, so taking care of your physical and mental well-being is key. Do not deprive your body!
Then, there is relaxative self-care. Typically, this type of self-care relates to things we personally enjoy. For some, it could be reading a good book, watching a comfort movie, or playing a fun video game with friends. These activities plug your brain out of ‘stress mode’ and enable you to focus on something enjoyable, usually resulting in a rejuvenated mind. Be mindful though: abusing this type of activity can have very negative effects, such as procrastination and even more stress. It takes maturity and self-consciousness to create a good balance between work and relaxation.
Time Management
A lack of good time management is one of the leading causes of stress in college students. The best way to secure good time management is to find ways that help you organize your time adequately. Some people like having planners or bullet journals to keep track of everything, while others resort to checklists. Another very useful tool to use is the Pomodoro technique, which goes as such:
1. Work for 25 minutes
2. Take a short 5 minute break
3. Repeat 4 times
4. Take a longer 15-30 minute break
5. Restart
This technique is meant as a way to work with the time you have as efficiently as possible instead of running against the clock. It permits you to rest your mind enough to catch a break, but not long enough to disturb your attention span and motivation. Whatever it may be, whether setting a set schedule or checking items off a list, find a way that works for you and maximize your efficiency.
Talk It Out
Sometimes things get too overwhelming for us to deal with alone, and that is completely normal. Friends are there to support you through bad and good days, and leaning on them from time to time is not a negative thing. If you need a debrief session with a close friend, talk it out with them, but always make sure that they are ready to listen. However, if you notice that your venting sessions are getting out of hand, you are dealing with the same issue over and over again, or you feel the need to speak with a trusted adult, maybe it could be time to get professional help. Remember, your friends are not your therapists, and there are limits to what they can do for you.
Andrews offers mental health services at the CTC in Bell Hall, offering both in-person and virtual services. Their office hours are M–Th: 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., F: 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. To set up an appointment, go see them in Bell Hall Suite 123, or call them at (269) 471-3470. To find more about the CTC, click here.
Learn To Say ‘NO’
In many cases, we are too shy to say ‘no’ to opportunities that seem wonderful even when our schedules are filled to the brim. We soon find ourselves overwhelmed, but by that point, it might be too late to cancel. Sound familiar? If so, then learning to pick and choose which opportunities to accept and which to refuse is a useful skill that sets important boundaries that your mind and body will thank you for. It is all good and wonderful to do things for those around you and for your community, but remember that you need to take care of yourself too.
Allow Yourself To Make Mistakes
At the end of the day, we are human beings, and that means we can make mistakes. The sooner one accepts that fact, the better and simpler life will become. We are not machines that fulfill everything perfectly, and mistakes are normal and human. No matter how much effort you put into whatever you have to achieve, ultimately mistakes are sometimes made, whether in your control or not, and beating yourself up over them isn’t helpful. The best thing you can do is pick yourself up and move on, learning from these mistakes and doing better in the future. For example, if your midterm grades were not up to your expectations, do not fuss over them. Instead, analyze where you went wrong and change up your techniques. There is still half a semester left to get the grades you want!
We all know that college can be very stressful, and juggling the stress besides everything else is not easy. Creating good habits is the key to leading a good, successful life, and we must make the most of the opportunities we have to take care of ourselves. You got this!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.