Author | Stacy Salinas | Jan. 10 2020
Hey Huskies!
It’s application season and trust me, I feel the stress in the air as well!
I know applying to university can be stressful and then having loads of work to focus on before the break as well. But it’s important to remember how to manage stress and how to deal with stress. Believe it or not, there are two types of stress; good and bad. Of course we all know that bad stress leads to feelings of exhaustion, illness, dissatisfaction at school and feeling unmotivated. Good stress provides us with energy to meet daily challenges, helps us rise to a challenge and meet goals such as deadlines . But it’s important to know when it’s getting out of hand and how to deal with it. Today I will be giving you, Huskies, my advice on how to manage stress and feel motivated during this stressful time!
THE 20 BY 10 RULE
I recently found out about the work for 20, rest for 10 methods. This method can be changed depending on what you feel is best for you. For example, you set a timer for 20 minutes, put- your phone and all distractions away and you work for 20 minutes without stopping. Once your timer is up you’re able to feel happy and proud of all the work you did in just 20 minutes. It’s actually surprising seeing how much you can get done in 20 minutes! Then you set another timer for 10 minutes where you can take a break and go on your phone or eat or do whatever it is you want to do before getting back to work. The whole point of this strategy is to let yourself breath and take breaks. It’s so that your mind and body knows that it’s okay to take breaks and take a step back once in awhile. Your body and mind can only take so much, so you owe it to yourself. Don’t be so hard on yourself!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Now, stress usually happens when you start to fall behind and have multiple things on your list.In order to avoid more stress, try planning your next steps or a to-do list. We are so lucky to have the amazing technology we have today, so take advantage of it! Use your reminders app to write down important things you need to get done the next day. I don’t know if I’m the only one but I usually remember everything I forgot to do that day the second I get into bed and close my eyes. So, once you remember what you needed to get done but couldn’t get done that day, grab your phone and write it all down on your reminders so that you can accomplish those tasks the following day.
FOCUS ON YOU
Focus on yourself. Stress often happens when you have too much on your plate as well. Don’t overwork yourself! That won’t do you any good, so make sure you take a day off where you can take a bath, watch a movie and spend time with your friends or family! It may seem like there’s never enough time in a day to do everything, but that’s sort of the whole point! You can only do so much, so take a step back and relax. I used to feel guilty whenever I would relax or sleep in instead of doing work but you actually have to tell yourself it’s ok, because it is. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing and giving yourself space to breath. That way, once you're done, you can give your next task all of your effort and put in your best work.
SAY NO TO PROCRASTINATION
Trust me, I know how hard it is to avoid procrastination, but it’s only stressing us out even more! So, organize yourself! Get a sticky note or a piece of paper and write down all of the assignments you need to get down. Now, don’t let that list scare you, if anything it should inspire you. After making your list, get on it!
Set all of your distractions aside and yes that means no Netflix or Snapchat! It may be hard at first but after you’re done everything you’ll get all the time you want. Let me say this again, TAKE BREAKS! This will give you the phone time and Netflix time you want for awhile. Procrastination is leaving everything to the last minute, so just make sure it doesn’t get to that. I can give you all the advice in the world on how to avoid procrastinating but you have to remember that at the end of the day no one can stop you but yourself. You get to choose whether or not to finish your work.
Now, before I go and leave you with my top tips. Just remember that you are capable of so much. It may be easier said than done but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Find what motivates you. Surround yourself with supportive people. And remember that as long as you believe in yourself, you’re going to do great. We all get to choose whether or not to be successful. So put in the effort and work hard for what you want. Apply, work and wait. It’ll come trust me! Happy applying Huskies!
-S
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