The thing that keeps my stress level down is to realize that no matter how busy I think I am, there are plenty of other people out there who are much busier than me. I began to wonder at the beginning of this semester how I was going to fit in all my schoolwork, extracurricular activities, work and still have a little fun. The best solution I've come up with is time management.
This should have been my first course as a college student. While I was very involved in various clubs and sports teams in high school, it's not quite the same when you're out on your own. Institutions of higher learning offer so many things to do outside of the classroom, it becomes easy to forget why you're really there: to get an education. The same is true of the workplace. When describing my last few weeks, I'm sure many of you were saying: 'Hey, that's me! I never have enough time to get everything done at work and at home!' From someone who has managed to find a good balance of work, school and fun, I can tell you that managing one's time properly is the key to success. A planner is the best investment of five bucks I can think of. Be sure to get one that breaks down each day by the hour. At the beginning of every week, fill it in as completely as possible in order to give you an idea of how your week will progress. I particularly like this technique because I can plan my work in order to give myself an hour or two of relaxation several times during the week. After all, all work and no play leads to a total burnout!
I also cannot stress the importance of getting a good night's rest. I always plan to get all of my work done in enough time for an adequate night's rest. If you aren't rested, it just makes the next days' events that much harder to accomplish and ultimately setting yourself up for failure.
Thankfully, I took my own advice and got all my work done for the week. With that being said, I'm off to the first home soccer game of the season! Have a great weekend!