It’s that time of the academic year; Work ramps up and tests get more concentrated. Here are some of the ways The Denisonian staff makes their workload more manageable.
Nina: Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t stressed. A little bit of controlled stress is healthy and motivates me to work harder and prioritize. However, too much stress can have the opposite effect; it becomes debilitating and leaves me unable or unwilling to accomplish any of my numerous tasks. When I start to feel overwhelmed, I like to make a list of everything I have to do. It sounds so simple, but visualizing my work can be strangely calming. No matter how much I have to do, there’s always less on my physical list than I imagined. Listing also makes me feel like I’m taking the first step toward accomplishing my tasks.
Joey: For me, taking breaks is the most important thing. It’s easy to just get caught up in the work and not look away from your computer screen for hours on end, but it’s not the most effective way to study or to feel okay after you finish studying. I like to take my breaks by staying updated with the most recent sports scores or checking twitter. But, my favorite all-time time procrastinator is the website sporcle.com. It’s a quiz website that keeps your mind engaged, but it feels like you’re taking a break. Personally, I love the sports quizzes, but Sporcle has quizzes that range from Harry Potter, to the Middle East, to obscure backup quarterbacks to Beyoncé.
Devin: When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I often do something that may not seem advisable; I sit back and relax. Obviously, you can’t do this for very long (30 minutes max) but doing this can help clear your head and re-energize you so that you’re more able to tackle the workload that’s stressing you out. I also often make a list of all the things I need to do; often times this reduces stress by showing that the load isn’t quite as overbearing as I thought it was, and even if it doesn’t, having a list of what I need to do (which I can check off as I do the work in question) helps me keep my focus and keep my head clear.
Liz: When I’m stressed, I take a moment to practice self care. Whether that be by randomly going to a zumba class (they’re on Tuesdays and Thursdays), doing a face mask, writing some poetry, watching some episodes of a Netflix show I haven’t caught up on in awhile (I’m currently watching This Is Us, shoot me). Most importantly, I take a moment to hang out with friends and not think about the impending amount of schoolwork I have to do. For instance, I try and focus on specific things that I appreciate about my friends and family and the little things do indeed matter.
Shanti: As stress is a component of the college experience that often seems both unrelenting and inevitable, I’ve found the need to arrive at
Sophia: Make lists! It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed when things pile up, it’s can feel like we’re drowning in responsibilities at times. When I feel this way, I like to make small, simple lists with no more than three items at a time. I take care of the small tasks at first and work my way up to the bigger ones. I think there’s this misconception that we should tackle the big guys first to get them out of the way. Personally, I find that method to be intimidating and discouraging. For me, getting a few menial tasks out of the way gives me the slight confidence boost I need to take on the bigger challenges. It makes me feel like I’m capable and helps make responsibility look less scary.