It’s no lie that school can be stressful, overwhelming and sometimes almost unbearable. Sometimes, I wonder if teachers consider the fact that their course IS NOT the only one I take in school. Like, seriously?
 Back in Nigeria in my former school, I used to think school was hard but now I’ve realized that I used to enjoy but didn’t realize it. I miss sleeping from Friday night to Sunday evening knowing I wouldn’t be screwed on Mondays cause I simply had no homework.

Those good old days…

Back to reality!  Since the work load doesn’t really get lighter (except you plan on failing your classes) but hey, don’t worry that’s why Miss LAJA is here…  You could get better at handling it so you don’t turn into a zombie. This is how I do it.

1)      Exercise

If it’s light jogging to swimming or even walking at least 2-3 times a week would do you good. If you play sports already, then you’re good like I used to row and had practice 6 days a week. It not only helps you look good but it also relieves stress and tension. I enjoy running and I do it at least 3 times a week from 45-60 minutes and also team it up with some strength training! Yeah, most of us have the debate where you’re thinking “I’m here and the gym’s all the over there and hmm… maybe I’ll go tomorrow”.  Sadly those “tomorrows” never come. *Abeg, I’m not saying you should go and kill yourself in the gym o! Start small and work your way up.

2)    Sleep

 “Sleep? What’s that?” This is a very foreign word to most students cause you’re like “But I have this and that and that!”. Don’t worry, I do that too. When I said I could sleep from Friday to Sunday peacefully and be fine for school the next day? Hmm.. I’d better not try it now. My parents always tell me “If you’re tired, sleep” and I’m thinking “You’ve got to be kidding me! I don’t want to fail o!” This is true, you’re not doing yourself a favor by working on only 3 hours of sleep why not try at least 7/8hours?  Trust me, eventually you will crash. Been there, done that, got LOADSA t-shirts and eye bags and pimples.

If it’s still not sinking (I understand) then try sleeping in during the weekendso you’re replenished for the week ahead.

3)      Do something you enjoy

I tend to forget that I’m also a priority and if you do too, it’s time to change that! Watch movies/ TV shows, go out with friends, pamper yourself (manis, pedis, massages), read leisurely (NOT SCHOOL RELATED excepted reading your bio textbook is your idea of leisure reading then go for it)  etc.  You get the gist? For me, I LOVE reading novels! I could read and read and read. I also enjoy hanging out with friends. Usually we’d go out to the mall and have like a girls’ day out then we’ll have lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant or we’d go to the movies or do anything together. It’s nice getting away from all the Calc drama you know? I’m also a HUGE fan of The Vampire Diaries (Ian Somerhalder is my future husband). So if I’m lagging behind on some episodes, I catch up or I watch my favorite movie. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find what you enjoy could it?

4)    Talk to someone

Whether it’s your mum, dad, friend, gardner, gateman, whoever you feel comfortable with. If you’re stressed out, don’t bottle it inside. I talk to my parents and my friends. Sometimes you need people to remind you that you need a break. I know I do. Don’t have any friends or one to talk to? Talk to God, he’s always there to listen. I talk to him too.

5)    Dance

 I organize dance parties in my room by myself and for myself. I turn up the music really loud and perform in front of the mirror. Singing however I want, dancing  however I want. Who cares? I’m going to rock  “Crazy in Love”  even Beyoncé would doubt she sang it after she hears me.  You think I’m weird? Well, guess what? It’s works.

6)    Eating Healthy

 Ok, I’m not saying I’m 100% good at this because I do love my chocolates and foods BUT I do make an effort. That’s a step in the right direction right? I take hydration very seriously so I drink water as often as possible over the course of the day and try to control how much sweet/fried stuff I eat.  Even with that, indulging in guilty pleasures isn’t a bad thing at all. I’m still young with a rocking metabolism so why not eat what I want while it lasts? I always tell myself after my 3^rd bar of chocolate when all else fails, go to the gym.


7) Hi! I’m Prioritize, your new best friend!

If you haven’t taken anything away till this point, this is your best bet. Don’t mix this up with procrastination because there’s a huge difference. I usually got overwhelmed because I had so much stuff plus,  I wanted to get everything done ASAP and If I didn’t I started freaking out. This is probably the most important thing cause if you don’t try to be organized, having time for the other things listed would be almost impossible. I have a planner where I write all things I have to do ranking from most important to least important so I know how to use my time. If I don’t get it all done today, that’s fine I’ll finish it up tomorrow. It really works for me because I realize that I don’t have to fret about the English paper I have due in a month.

Ok, easier said than done but hey, Jordin Sparks said “One Step At A Time” and you should take that advice and start from somewhere. One thing you need to realize is that the work load never gets lighter or easier; you just get better at handling it. Yeah it sucks a lot but with practise and consistency, you’ll get better… B strong

Why don’t you tell me how you handle stress in the comment box? I’d love to hear!