“…You make me sad.”
-King Arthur, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
With last week’s focus being on how to manage time, I thought it would only be right to go into another important proponent of having a less stressful experience when overwhelmed. Focusing on yourself and your mental health needs to be a priority, even when it doesn’t seem like there is time for it. In the context of school, the main impact on my mental health is by far stress, especially as deadlines approach. With that being said, pobody’s nerfect, but here are some things that have helped me along the way!
Do Not Procrastinate
Procrastination (at least for me) has a significant impact on the stress and mental health, especially in terms of school work. This is typically a direct impact of time management and you can take a look at my last blog, which explains some techniques I use to manage my time. In short, the best thing you can do is anticipate and prepare properly. Preventing procrastination can prevent any unnecessary stress from building and eating away at you, and leaves plenty of room for the next two tips!
Take Breaks
Now I know what you’re thinking, didn’t you just tell us to not procrastinate? Well yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take breaks. In fact, part of the reason you shouldn’t procrastinate is so that you can take breaks and keep yourself recharged. Working consistently for hours upon hours takes a toll on your mental state and degrades the quality of your work. Allowing yourself some time to not think about work, or maybe even stepping away from a screen can not only give you that refresh, but also help you in figuring out the solution of a problem that you are stuck on. I can’t recall the amount of times I solved a problem when looking away from my computer screen and practically shouting “Aha!” as I figured it out.
Find An Outlet
Lastly, find an outlet (that works best for you) to help alleviate your stress. That can be anything and is different for everyone: reading, meditating, playing games, exercising, playing with your pet, the possibilities are truly endless here. As long as it brings you some semblance of joy and relaxation, do it when you can and embrace it! This doesn’t exclusively relate to school work, but to life in general. Having an outlet that works, will reduce stress in daily life and therefore, have a positive impact on your mental health.
This, of course, is just my take and some tips on how I manage my personal stress and work on my mental health. These things may not work for everyone, but I strongly believe it is a good start to getting to the right place. Before you know it, you’ll only be thinking on how you got better.
*DISCLAIMER*
I know Mental Health is complicated and not purely related to stress. I just found these things helpful in my day to day life and thought they would be worth mentioning. If you feel like you need help, please go seek that help and do what it takes to be in a good spot mentally.
