As a lot of Boston students start and finish their midterms and important exams, stress levels continue to rise. Students are finding it difficult to balance their everyday schedule and not fall to the stress of this academic season. Anthony, a senior here at UMass Boston, said, “I have been pretty stressed out with both my school and work schedule. I find it hard at times to balance the two evenly.” He then added that “with the exam season right now, I’m even more stressed than usual”. This is something a lot of us students can relate to. Of course, our academics are important, but we also need to be able to take care of ourselves and our well being. I have recently been exploring ways that we can maintain our well-being while still focusing on school.
The first important factor of our well-being, both physically and mentally, is getting the right amount of sleep. I know this may be difficult during this time, especially if you’re prone to procrastination. However, there are ways for you to pace yourself and still get a good amount of rest. I recommend trying to start your work earlier in the day. Then, at certain times during the day, refer to your work and finish up more and more as you go. This may not only be easier for people who find it hard to sit down and focus all in one go, but it will also discourage you from starting work later at night. As a pretty bad procrastinator in the past, I understand the urge to start a paper at 11 p.m., and finish it at 3 a.m. If you can find the will to start earlier and work throughout the day, you can get to bed at a decent time. Sleep is so critical for your well-being, it gives us energy and keeps our mood up!
Moreover, try to incorporate exercise and good eating into your life. I refrained from saying “diet,” as I feel like that sometimes has a negative connotation. It is not that you have to lessen and stop eating as much. Starvation actually has significant negative effects on your metabolism and body muscle. It can actually cause you to gain weight rather than lose weight. The proper way to diet is to eat as much as you want, but change the foods that you are taking. As students, it may be hard to find the time and also have the money to eat healthier foods. If this is the case for you, I recommend first attempting to cut out the extra bad foods out of your eating. Try to cut out fast food and some junk foods first. Then, proceed to cut all junk foods from your eating if you find that you can get rid of this element. Furthermore, doing little exercise here and there can be great in maintaining your well-being. Students can incorporate basic, more simple physical activities such as taking a walk, doing yoga in the morning, or taking a bike ride. You will feel better physically, which in turn has the opportunity to make you feel better mentally.
Lastly, I would say that it’s important for you to find time for self-care. I know this may sound easier said than done. However, here are ways for you to incorporate a good amount of self-care time with your academic schedule. One way I have personally done this is by setting a goal before I start my work. If I have a paper to finish, I’ll write for a whole hour or two, depending on how large the assignment is. I then allow myself to take a half-hour to an hour break. During this time, I do things that I really enjoy. I treat the time almost as a reward for the work I had finished and an incentive to continue to work. This system may work for you and encourage you to not only finish the work you need to finish, but also give you time to do some self love and take a break. Repeat the process until you’re finished!
These are some tips that I have personally been trying to incorporate into my busy schedule. With school and work, I am constantly stressed. However, I have found myself more composed and less overwhelmed using these tips. Of course, everyone is different, so adjust what you need to adjust for your unique schedule and preferences.