School is starting up again soon- and personally, I tend to always get super stressed out and overwhelmed during the school year. My brain tells me there is so much to do and not enough time to do it, when in fact there actually is. I spend all my time stressing out about the amount of things that I have to get done, rather than actually thinking about what I have to do and how to do it- and most of the time, these tasks are extremely do-able and I'm just making them feel bigger than they really are.
What I have learned over the years is that making a list of everything I have to do and checking things off once they're done has been extremely helpful. Making a list helps ease your mind from constantly thinking of everything you have to do and lets you focus on each individual task. You start to realize that you did not even have that much tasks to begin with, and that writing it out helped calm you down.
If I am especially stressed out during a particular week, I find that watching an episode of my favorite TV show always calms me down. Even if it seems like I have an endless pile of work, a short 20-minute break to help me think about something other than work will help more than hurt me. By steering my concentration away from the frightening amount of tasks I have to complete, I can bring my attention to a more familiar and welcoming thing that will calm my anxiety and help me regroup my thoughts before going on to conquer my workload.
I also like to meditate a few times a day, whether it is just as short as one minute or even ten. I like to breathe in through my nose for ten seconds and breathe out my mouth for another ten seconds, all while focusing solely on my lungs. This helps center my mind and the individual breaths help me focus on one thing at a time. At any time of the day when I'm in an anxious situation, I like to implement this technique and take deep breaths and it always helps me.
Sometimes, something as simple as taking a nap can also do wonders. You can relax and sleep just for thirty minutes, and then wake up ready to work and get things done. I personally don't take a lot of naps but just relaxing in bed for thirty minutes allows me to feel calmer and have a break from my hectic schedule.
These methods might not work for everyone but if you focus your mind and look at one task at a time, I hope it will be able to help you all create a stress-free environment and a happy school year!