GM’s guide to managing student stress

Stress is something that we students know all too well, and I am definitely no stranger to it myself. As you might imagine, my role as the Grand Marshal is quite involved. I would estimate that I spend around 20 hours a week working on student government. On top of that, I am also a full time student in the process of applying to graduate schools. Needless to say, things can get pretty stressful for me from time to time, but I am getting better at managing that stress. This week, I want to share with you all some insight into how I manage my stress, and leave you with some suggestions for your life as a student to take a little better care of your mental health.

I want to begin with talking about time management. Most of the time, the stress that I face is due to an overload of time-sensitive tasks. My first step when I find myself in this situation is to breathe. Taking a minute to just breathe might seem cliché, but there is definitely merit to it. I know that I can never think straight when my mind is racing. I like to close my eyes for a minute or so to just focus on breathing and trying to clear my mind. Next, I make a list of all the tasks I have and rank them by due date, with the more urgent ones higher up on the list. Organizing all of this information already takes off a lot of stress that I feel before going through this exercise. I then work my way through the list. This process may seem super simple, but being organized by knowing exactly what I have to do and when I have to do it is very helpful in being able to set realistic goals for the day or week. 

I frequently use post-it notes or the Google Keep app to make and track goals for my day. These goals vary widely. I could have something as simple as: “Send a follow up email to Tiger Woods about playing a round of golf before noon,” or as involved as: “draft a peace treaty with the geese outside my apartment after the Senate meeting.” Whatever it is, I know exactly what I have to get done and when. This is helpful for keeping me on track. If I know I am going to have an especially busy day, I even schedule time for lunch and dinner.

Now the other thing that helps keep me in good spirits, especially during rough days, is the mindset I have about why I am at Rensselaer. My main goal is to learn; it’s that simple. Whenever I am really stressed about a task or worrying about the future, I take a quick second to reflect on what I am doing and what I am learning (or will learn) from this experience. This process helps ground me by reminding me that I am still working towards my main goal and learning something out of whatever it is I am doing. I would encourage you to identify what your main goal or motivation for being at RPI is, and take the time to reflect on that to relieve some stress if you ever feel like you’re straying too far off course. 

I would be lying to you if I said that these strategies help me live completely stress free. If things ever get too out of hand, I like to reach out to a friend to help comfort me and maybe give me some tips. I would also like to remind everyone that the Counseling Center is also fully operational this semester, albeit virtually. 

I hope these tips can help you to relieve some stress. 

I wish everyone a great week ahead and hope you’re staying safe!