After a long and restful winter break, the spring semester has finally begun. While I am continuing to learn remotely, I remain optimistic about what these next few months have to offer and I am happy that starting a new semester has brought me one step closer to walking across the stage at graduation in 2024. The hustle and bustle of attending new classes, meeting new people, and settling into a new routine has made me feel excited, but also a little overwhelmed. Here are a few things I plan to try this semester in order to become as efficient as possible and reduce my stress.

1. Prioritizing and spreading out assignments

As we have started to get back into the swing of attending classes and turning in assignments, it is important to keep track of everything that needs to get done in a timely manner. Last semester, my planner was my best friend because it kept me very organized. However, I still found myself getting overwhelmed with finishing assignments right before the due date. I realized it was because I often tried to finish big assignments in one sitting. Instead, this semester I plan to split my big assignments into chunks and complete certain parts of them little by little. I also plan to prioritize which assignments will be the most time consuming or difficult and get started on those first. With this technique, I believe I will accomplish a lot more during the day without feeling pressured to complete everything at once.

2. Getting More Sleep

Lately, I have been finding it so hard to get to sleep at a decent time and still wake up and be attentive during classes. According to Affordable Colleges Online, college students should get about seven to nine hours of sleep. Normally, I only get 5-6 hours each night. This semester, I plan to get more. I can accomplish this by trying to reduce the amount of time I spend on social media while in bed, maximizing the time that I am awake during the day, and taking power naps if I feel drained between classes. Getting enough sleep will help to balance my routine and be more efficient.

3. Journaling and/or talking to someone

While the pandemic still plagues our lives and we continue to feel the constant pressure to do well in college, our mental health can be seriously impacted. To combat this issue, I plan to get into journaling every day along with talking about the things I’m going through with someone else. In this time of quarantine and limited social interaction, journaling my thoughts every night will help me to reflect on things that are positive in my life as well as negative. In times when I need extra support or advice, I will seek out help from someone I trust. I think writing and expressing your feelings through any creative outlet can be very therapeutic. It is important to check up on ourselves and take time throughout our busy schedules to make sure that we are all doing as well as we possibly can be during these unpredictable times.

Seeking emotional support? Consider contacting Loyola’s Counseling Center. 

4. Being More Active

Last semester, I tried to be active, but I always struggled to find the motivation to do anything that did not involve me lying in bed. However, over the winter break, I started getting into yoga and found it to be so relaxing. This semester, I plan to continue doing yoga every morning as well as implementing jogging around my neighborhood a few times a week. I think getting out of the house and making the time to be active will help me live a more balanced lifestyle instead of continuing my couch potato behavior. Yoga definitely has helped to improve my mood and set the tone for the day, and I think jogging will make me feel even better.

Looking to get more active but unsure where to start? Several creators on YouTube offer free fitness alternatives to costly memberships. Plus, their videos can be done anywhere, anytime, and in a COVID-safe environment. Blogilates, Yoga with Adriene, and Kyra Pro are all fun, body positive options. 

I hope that by implementing these things into my daily life, I will be on the right track for having a more balanced and stress-free semester.

Featured Image courtesy of Tim Goedhart via Unsplash