school

As I mentioned in September, I’ve been dealing with a lot of school-related stress. I promised to provide updates, so that’s what this post is all about.

I know a lot of people think that college students “have it easy” (and I will admit that I have a pretty sweet schedule), but I’ve been immersed in an extra busy semester.

I’m taking some tough courses–senior research project and mass media law are especially challenging–and also balancing the position of editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, working, planning mine and Jimmy’s wedding, and keeping up with life in general. It’s a lot, and sometimes I feel really overwhelmed, but I’m also enjoying all the different activities I’ve been involved in.

I’d like to say that I’m feeling much less stressed, but I’m not. I’m still overwhelmed and busy, but I’m learning to deal with it and maintain balance in my life.

Of course, Jimmy has been so good to me. He had flowers delivered to my door yesterday.

The note card that came with the flowers said sweet things like “I’ve been praying for you daily,” and “I know you think you don’t like flowers, but I think you secretly do because I saw you looking at them in Wal-Mart this weekend!!” That definitely made me smile. He is such a blessing in my life!

The good thing about being so busy is that the semester is flying by. I’m currently finishing up week 10 out of 15. Yahoo!

Something that’s been helping me deal with stress is taking time to do things I love. I recently bought a sketch book, and while I’m no artist, I truly enjoy drawing and coloring.

Drawing makes me “zone out” and forget about everything. It’s so relaxing. I’m also making sure to stay extra close with God. And drinking a lot of coffee 🙂

So, that’s my update. I’m still feeling stressed out, but I’m also loving pretty much everything in my life at the same time! I’m incredibly blessed, and so thankful for all the opportunities and loving people in my life.

I will probably post another update on this topic in late November/early December because I think it’s important to address personal issues and not make it seem as though my life is perfect, or that I handle everything easily. I’m all about honesty and sharing, as I think it opens the door for others to share and support each other, and that’s something I absolutely adore about the blogging community!

What relaxes you when you’re stressed out?

I spent Saturday morning crying. Actually, I think sobbing is a better word. You know that kind of cry where you can’t even form a sentence, and you have an instant headache afterwards? Yep, that was me.

I’m currently dealing with some mega school stress right now. I’m not going to go into detail (probably because I’ll start crying again. Ugh.), but the point is that I’m feeling overwhelmed. My classes are hard, and I have a lot of responsibilities on campus–the typical college life stress.

(My mom and I working at a real estate event together after my meltdown…)

Though I’m (clearly) a work in progress on stress management, I want to share four things I do to handle stress.

1. Seek God first.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I know it’s time to spend extra time reading my Bible and praying. I’m usually tempted to feel like I have so much going on that I just can’t make time for more Bible reading, but I have come to realize that reading the word of God is one of the best things I can do in stressful situations. I also like to pray more–really pouring out my worries, and leaving them with God. The hard part is leaving the worries to God, but I’m always working on it!

2. Prioritize.
Spending a few minutes figuring out what needs to be done first can be so helpful. Something may not need to be done for a couple of weeks, whereas something else may need to be done in a few days. Knowing what I have to do today relieves a bit of anxiety, because it helps me realize that I’m probably stressing out over something that isn’t even due for a few weeks. I try to take life one day at a time!

3. Try to achieve balance.
This is one of the hardest things for me. When I know I have something to do, I tend to have “tunnel vision” until it’s done. I try to remember that it’s super important to pay attention to all aspects of my life. I should spend (fairly) equal amounts of time doing homework, working, and playing. When I have balance in my life, I’m a better student, daughter, Christian, athlete, etc.

4. Take care.
I’ve blogged about this before, but it’s always good to remember to take care of myself. I have to know my limits, and realize that it’s absolutely necessary to take care of myself. By taking care, I mean doing things I love, getting enough sleep, saying no sometimes, asking for help, and enjoying the little things in life.

The other thing I do to handle stress? Drink a lot of coffee.

How do you deal with stress?

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