#4 Take Care of Yourself

It’s getting to that time of the semester.  You’re stressed out because that recital is coming up, you have a million papers due, your wonderful professors scheduled their midterms all during the same week (and possibly even on the same day), and you’re losing sleep.  You don’t have time to eat breakfast in the morning.  You hardly have time for lunch.  You’re crabby and tired and stressed out.  Life seems horrible.

I know, I’ve been there.  We all have.

The most important thing you have to remember when things get crazy is to take good care of yourself.  There are things in life you need to sacrifice to get good grades, but your health is not one of them!  Quite the contrary, when you’re stressed out, you’ll be more productive if you get enough sleep and eat three meals a day.  Trust me, it sounds impossible, but if I can do it, so can you.  Here are some things you should remember to do when the semester gets stressful, even when you don’t think you have time to do it:

-        Get eight hours of sleep.  I know it sounds impossible, but you’ll work better and more efficiently without the sleep deprivation gnawing at you throughout the day.  Coffee is a quick fix but is a horrible excuse for a replacement for sleep.

-        Eat breakfast.  Even if you have to run out the door, grab a Pop Tart or a granola bar or something.  Eating food in the morning jump starts your metabolism and keeps you from falling asleep in your first class.

-Make sure you drink lots of water.  The only way to hydrate your brain is with water, and staying hydrated will help you focus and keep you energized.

-        If you don’t have time for a full lunch, pack one.  This is what I do when I have to go straight through the day from 8:15 to 2.  A PBJ can do wonders for hunger pangs.  If you don’t have time do pack one in the morning, do it before you go to bed the night before and throw it in the fridge.

-        Make sure you save a little time in your day for yourself.  It sounds crazy, but it’ll keep you from going crazy.  The best time is right before you go to bed.  Read a book, watch an episode of your favorite show, play a video game, talk to a friend on the phone, knit a scarf, do something that is not school related.  It’ll help you get to sleep faster because you won’t be up all night worrying about what to do the next day.

I know this is a blog intended for music majors, but this really can apply to everyone.  Everyone on campus has times where they get so stressed out they can’t even function.  Just make sure you’re not sacrificing your health just to get that A.  Trust me, it’s not worth it.