College can be stressful, but I'm here to tell you that stress doesn't just melt away once your diploma is in hand.  A psychology professor recently shared 101 Ways to Cope with Stress with his students; one of which shared it on Twitter. Here are my highlights:

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Get up 15 minutes earlier

  • I know, I know; easier said than done, right? I am SO guilty of hitting the snooze button and starting my morning at the last possible second.  I'm sure that if I gave myself a little more time in the morning, I'd feel way more in control of my day.
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Prepare for the morning the night before

  • This is one that I have mastered and it makes all the difference.  Right before I go to bed I pack my breakfast and lunch, set my clothes out, and make sure my keys are in my bag.  Nothing is more stress-inducing than running around last minute looking for your keys. I check my calendar to see if I have anything going on the next day so I'm properly prepared for any appointments I have set up; paperwork is accounted for, gym bag is prepped, etc.
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Say "no" more often

  • ...and make every "yes" count.
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Simplify meal times

  • When I first started meal prepping for the week, I would go OVERBOARD.  I would find some intricate muffin recipe for breakfast, a 30-ingredient "easy to whip up" (if you have a full Food Network staff working behind the scenes) snack, two meals that could be split between lunch and dinner; one slow cooker, one standard oven. I would spend my entire Sunday in the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, the outcome de-stressed my week, but it made me loathe my weekend. I also found that I usually made dinner plans last minute with friends, so half of the food wouldn't get eaten. I decided on sticking to two hard-boiled eggs and a grapefruit for breakfast, chicken breasts and an easy vegetable side for lunch, and immediately boxing half of my dine-out dinner for leftovers the next night.
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Break large tasks in to bite-sized portions

  • A project can, at first, seem overwhelming, but thinking about the steps it will take to get from Point A to B will help make it manageable.  Also, delegate tasks you don't like or aren't comfortable with. This, of course, is a lesson I'm still learning.
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Schedule play time in to every day

  • It's really easy to get wrapped up in responsibility and push hobbies and fun to the side, but you know what they say about all work and no play...
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Stop saying negative things to yourself

  • Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
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Do a brand new thing

  • It's never too late to learn a language or start a new hobby. Don't get stuck in a rut; explore, take a class, keep learning.
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Stop a bad habit

  • Pat yourself on the back for your successes, forgive and move on from your failures.
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Strive for excellence not perfection

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Quit trying to fix people

  • It's not your job.  The only person you are responsible for is you.
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Get enough sleep

  • I'm guilty of not getting enough sleep, that's for sure.  Bed time will approach and it's always "one more chapter" or "one more episode." I wake up tired, hitting the snooze button, and starting my morning at the last possible second.  Then it's wash, rinse, repeat.  Yet another from this list I have to work on on the road to self-improvement.

And remember... when all else fails... just keep swimming.

 

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