Saving Yourself From Stress

  Phew!  Midterms are finally over and I am definitely going to be enjoying this weekend as much as possible.  This past week was absolutely crazy!  I did have a few tricks up my sleeve that helped me to not get too overwhelmed and I figured I'd share them with you.

1. Waking up and deciding that I was going to be able to take on whatever the day brought.
• This was the biggest thing that made me feel a bit more relaxed during the week.  Waking up and already making today be a good day was extremely helpful in carrying my self in a way that agreed with that decision.
2. Reminding myself that "I'm human."
• We all make mistakes.  We are all going to inevitably forget something that we needed that day and not have enough time to go back and get it.  Alternatively, we may have a lot of studying or work to do and then get behind in classes that you put on the back burner that week.  It's all okay.  Allow yourself to make mistakes every now and then.
3. Listening to songs that I really enjoy.
• Even if they're from when you were five years old; if they make you happy, listen to them!  During stressful weeks, you have to enjoy the little things in life, and speaking of little things...
4. Writing down 10 things that make me happy, at least once a day.
• Writing down what makes you happy and/or what you're thankful for can really shift your perspective and make your day a little bit more enjoyable.  It could be something as simply as "how breakfast tasted" or "getting to wake up in a comfortable bed."  As long as your recognizing that you have things in your life that you enjoy, you're on the right idea.
5. You may not believe it, but: allowing myself to be stressed.
• No, not constantly, over-the-top stressed.  But still acknowledging how I was feeling and allowing my emotions to be valid.  Whenever I constantly try to ignore my feelings and "make" myself feel 100% better, I often feel worse.  Allowing myself to feel what I was feeling and to be okay with it really helped.  You have to acknowledge yourself.  Treat yourself kindly, even if that means being a little upset for a moment or two.

  In the end, you just have to realize that everything is going to work out and that you'll be feeling like your normal self again, soon.  Also, if you think that you have very serious stress issues, by all means, go talk to someone.  Medical professionals do wonders and you always come out stronger in the end.  If you have any other strategies you use to help get you through a stressful time, leave them in the comments below!