Stress: The sensation that bites back

Have you ever not been able to take a half hour out of your day just to shower? Or have you left the house with sandals on, just because you could not find socks in time to leave? Have you ever rushed through errands during your free time, just so that you can go back to your abode two hours later and not have to leave again?

This is my life right now.

To the person who told me that my senior year would be the easiest of my life: thank you for telling me a blatant lie.

Never have I ever been more pressed for time, money, or experiences in my 21 years of life. How do I cram senior projects, class work, jobs, graduate school and internship research, extracurricular activities, a social life, and a balanced diet into 24 hours each day? I am convinced that it is not humanly possible to do so. 

Basically, I am a 21 year old who is already looking forward to retirement, and I have not even lived life in the "real world" yet.

The arrangement of words that I use the most each day is "I am just so stressed out" (insert exasperated sigh here).  

Although I have a lot on my plate, I am unwilling to drop anything. I committed myself to a full schedule, thinking that I would be able to balance everything and still have time to take advantage of the activities that I will miss after I graduate. At the moment, I am struggling to keep my head above the flood of "stuff to do." 

However, I like to think of this quote from the Bible:

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

I have never had this much responsibility or power in my entire life. Not only am I in charge of my future, and my own time management, but I also guide and work over underclassmen through my extracurricular activities positions. They rely on me to be there and not flake out. 

This quick start to my final Fall semester of undergrad ever has allowed me to learn some things about dealing with stress: 

1. Take a deep breath. 
2. Drink a cup of tea (preferably green).
3. Go on a jog or work out... expend some pent up energy. 
4. Take a half hour to let Netflix be your therapy. 
5. Call your mom. 
6. Doodle.
7. Bake some cookies. 
8. Talk to your best friend and let her/him vent to you too. 
9. Close your eyes. 
10. Clean your room.