Spring Semester Stress

Is it me, or does spring semester always seem to go faster than the fall? Fall semester always seems to drag its feet across the ground and winter break always seems so out of reach, however, once we come back for spring semester, it goes by in the blink of an eye. I always feel like I'm playing catch up and the finish line is always out of reach, causing my stress to skyrocket into outer space and beyond. As a college student, there are many expectations that I find myself faced with and if I ever want a job when I graduate, it seems as though now I must be bending over backwards while twirling plates on sticks on my nose. Seems out of this world, but sadly, it's not. So, how do we balance all the stress and keep our mind at ease?

Well first, lets identify if we've reached our breaking point, as in, are you burnt out yet or is there still some fuel left?
Are you experiencing...

• Exhaustion
• Lack of motivation
• Frustration, cynicism and other negative emotions
• Cognitive problems
• Slipping job performance
• Interpersonal problems at home and at work 
• Not taking care of yourself
• Being preoccupied with work... when you're not at work
• Generally decreased satisfactions
• Health problems 

According to the LearnVest section of Huffington Post, these are the 10 signs that you are burnt out. These symptoms can occur from living an unbalanced, overworked lifestyle and chronic stress. Furthermore, burnout is becoming an all too common experience for working women under the age of 30!

So, what do we do now, how do we make it past the overwhelming stress?

Here are some tips;

• Take relaxation seriously
• Cultivate a rich non-work life
• Unplug
• Get enough sleep
• Get organized
• Stay attuned
• Know when it's you, and when it's them
• Figure out when enough is enough

I, personally, tend to lose sight of what I can and what I cannot do resulting in me biting off more than I can chew. Ambition and drive and admirable traits, but do not forget to reward your body and mind for all 

that it does for you each and everyday.

Have a wonderful and stress-free April everyone!