If you find yourself spending 12 hours a day at school, something’s not right. The human body isn’t made to handle continuous stress. The body sends warning messages and if you ignore these messages you’ll find yourself in a situation where your body has simply had enough.

There are ways of coping with stress or even ways to avoid getting stressed in the first place. After a really rough school year I learned a few things about keeping myself happy and stress-free. It’s important to remember that everyone has their limits and to admit to yourself that you can’t do everything; you’re not a superman and it’s okay. You don’t have to do everything you’re asked to do. You can refuse extra shifts at work if you feel you don’t have the time or you’re not up to it. What’s the point in spending all your free time making money, if you never have the time to enjoy it?

School and work aren’t your life, they’re only a part of it, so don’t let them take over. It’s important to make time for hobbies and friends outside school and work. You need to have time to treat your mind and body. There’s no reason to feel guilty about going out with friends every once in a while. It’s easier to get things done when you’re feeling good about yourself. There’s no better therapy than spending some time doing the things that make you happy.

Trying to be perfect is the fastest way to burn out. Of course it would be great if you got excellent grades in all your courses, but is it really worth it? Sometimes it’s better to get a lower grade in a course than beating yourself up trying to be perfect. At the end of the day, are perfect grades the thing that you want to remember from your time in school? Or would you rather have happy memories of all the fun things you did with the people you went to school with?

If you feel like you have way too much on your hands, give something up. If you can’t get all your courses done in time, it’s not the end of the world. It’s always worth talking to the teachers about your situation. Maybe you can come up with some sort of compromise, so that you can get your courses done with out burning out. Whenever you feel stressed out about something, ask yourself; what is the worst thing that could happen? Seriously, you’re not going to die, if you graduate a few months later, or get a poor grade in a course. When you’re applying for a job, nobody cares if you got a D in mosaics.

Making a list and a schedule of all the things that you need to get done is a good way to keep your mind organised. When making schedules it’s important to make sure that they’re realistic. There’s no point in making a schedule you know you can’t follow. Remember to schedule at least a few hours a day that are meant purely for doing the things you want. Make sure that during these free hours, you don’t do anything that you don’t feel like doing.

And finally, remember this:
“Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive.”
                                                                         Elbert Hubbard

Written by: Pia Rehn, Crafts and Recreation student.