I'll get straight to the point: I am stressed out. I feel like I am positively drowning in schoolwork, activites, and personal issues. I don't know how to deal with it, and it's slowly murdering my soul. How can I feel completely calm and relaxed, even if only for a minute? Please give me some tips. Thank you.
The advice I desperately need to take myself is: Whenever you find something coming up that you need to do, put it on a list along with the deadline if applicable. Eventually you'll have everything written down which allows you to prioritize and focus.
As far as personal issues, my go-to is to rant about it in a journal. If you don't have a journal then a random scrap of paper will do (or a new document, if you prefer typing). That gets the worst of it out, and then I can deal with it from there. Personally part of what stresses me out is thinking I have x things to do, and then remembering 'Oh, and on top of that I have this, and this, and this...!' So I'd second having a list. That way I have it all out in front of me and can see 1) it isn't as much as I thought it was, or 2) at least now I know everything I have to get done! And from there, take a deep breath. Sit down or lie down and listen to your favorite song a couple times, or go fix yourself something nice to eat or drink. Or both, if you want. And then start on the list one thing at a time, whatever's most urgent first. After a while you should be able to knock off a couple of items, so take another music/snack break (or maybe a nap, if those items were essays or something big haha). Rinse and repeat. You got this!
