As a college student, it can feel like everything in the entire world is on your shoulders. Classwork might pile up, your job might try to cut your hours, thus cutting your pay, and you have loved ones depending on you at home. All of the little things added together can become pretty menacing. It is especially important during these times to remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself and your needs is the most crucial part of everything in life functioning as you want it to.
Managing stress for most people in this position might feel like an oxymoron. You are stressed out, but instead of dealing with external stressors that triggered this reaction, you must deal with more internal stressors. This might call for systematic changes.
Set realistic short-term goals
Taking things one day at a time may work for some. However, having structure in your weekly and monthly plans/to-do’s can make a large amount of work far more manageable. Smaller short-term goals can help chunk out bigger tasks to ensure an even distribution of work and progress.
Stay connected with a support network
Reach out to a supportive friend or family member; it might feel like another thing on the to-do list but can often help relieve stress. It is very human to want connection, and when that gets fulfilled, it brings the feeling of not being alone during hardships.
Focus on your “why”
When all the small things add up in a particularly devastating way, and the only way out feels like giving up, remember your “why.” Why are you here? Why are you doing this? What is the drive and does it overpower the struggle?
Learn to say no
Often there is a small voice that says, “We can do it all.” While that is a good motto, it’s also important to remember that you do not have to. Adding more tasks to an already packed schedule will only ensure that nothing gets done to its full potential. Prioritize the important tasks and give them your all.
Emerging into adulthood feels like walking on a balance beam and suddenly the people spotting you disappear, and the ground disappears. This time can lead to feelings of overwhelming unease and uncertainty. There are strategies to help handle it all.
Engaging in meaningful activities
Doing one thing that brings joy every day can increase feelings of productivity. The small act of one preferred activity a day can increase perceived quality of life. Even if it feels like adding one more thing to your list, it helps shift mindsets and increase individual overall satisfaction.
Increasing resilience
Individual resilience can increase function ability in daily life. Resilience has been directly correlated to the ability to problem solve and overcome daily challenges. Evidence-based ways to foster an increase in resilience are cultivating social interactions, performing small acts of kindness, and practicing compassion.
Proper sleep hygiene and self-care ensure that you are keeping your cup full. A full cup will be able to better maintain the function of all the moving parts of life while still staying sane. There are multiple types of self-care:
- Physically: Self-care of the body, including activities like moving your body, eating well, and increased pampering routines. Acts of self-indulgence that positively influence your physical self.
- Emotional: A form of self-care that enables expression of emotions. This can include, making art, journaling, or talking it out in therapy.
- Social: This flavor of self-care talks directly to our very human urge for connection. It is based on participating in relationships with friends and loved ones and doing enjoyable activities.
- Inner self: Self-care that involves your internal motivators. This is the concept of feeding your “why.” This can be connected to meditation, spirituality, nature, or global perspective. The act of building upon this drive is inner self-care.
Sleep hygiene is the set of routines and practices to ensure adequate, consistent, and high-quality sleep.
- A consistent nighttime routine can help wind down and prepare the body for bedtime.
- Make a sleep sanctuary. Eliminate any obstacles that would take away from a full night of sleep (excess light or sound, pets, children, electronics, etc.)
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
- Avoid stimulants up to three hours before bed (food, exercise, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.)
College is one of the biggest transitional times in a person’s life. For many, it might be my first time living alone, making appointments, and handling a larger workload. It’s a time that if not managed properly can lead to great strife and elevated levels of stress. Occupational therapy cannot offer a hard-and-fast fix. However, it offers some guiding principles to support the individual in coping and dealing with the overwhelming number of new responsibilities.
