Balancing act

By A.D. Quig

It seems impossible to be a student and maintain some kind of balance. Your desk doubles as a beer pong table on the weekends, you party with study buddies, and you can’t be on a library computer without checking Facebook.
 
Stress reduction instructor David LeBeau, agrees, “students have a dilemma in which they want conflicting outcomes, straight A’s and lots of social interaction or game playing time, without accepting their role in creating the dilemma.”

But you can have it all if you separate work and play.

Get organized
According to LeBeau, students often blame the deadline instead of their own procrastination. Be aware of due dates and spend an hour or two daily achieving smaller goals during the week instead of shutting yourself in for a whole weekend.
 
Matt Richard, a senior majoring in public health, says, “I’ve printed out all my schedules and hung them up on the wall, and I’ve been keeping a record of when things are due in Google Calendar so I get email alerts.”

Get focused
LeBeau recommends morning meditation to focus on your daily tasks and reduce stress. If you’re not the new age type, you might just need fewer distractions, like emails, texts and update alerts, in your workspace to focus.

“I just leave my Twitter for Mac up on the right side of my computer,” says Matthew Naber, a senior in the Kelley School of Business. “I never touch Facebook or email until I’ve finished. Twitter keeps me connected to everything so I don’t need to check anything else.”

Get out
If you locked yourself in your apartment all weekend to put the finishing touches on your final project, you deserve an escape. Staying in your workspace only reminds you of work, so get out and enjoy yourself.

Paige Manley, a junior majoring in education, leaves Bloomington for family time in Indianapolis after a tough week. “When I see my niece and nephew all they are doing is smiling and laughing, and it makes me do the same when I play with them. I don’t have to think about what is stressing me out, and they kind of rub off on me.”

Get help
If you’re having problems with stress or anxiety, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has a number of free student services to lighten the load: two free counseling visits per semester, free group health education programs, and a 24-hour crisis line.