Keep Calm and No, I Won't Say Another Word About Mead

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I'm back in Oswego! This is fantastic. Just trust me on this one. Not only was it snowing, which was pretty awesome (albeit the temperature), but everyone was already back by the time I got in! I missed everyone, and for once I didn't mind a crowded room at all.

The trip back is always tiring. I don't mind it that much, but the effects of sitting in a car for five hours without counting the infrequent rest stops do hit you right after you finally get a chance to settle down. Yes, I was up before the sun this morning (and that meant before my Mom's derpy parrots started their calls to their Sun God reminding us every day is incredibly amazing no matter what so wake up right now,) and yes we hit the road before 9am. It wasn't so busy, which was great for us. Traffic makes my Mom a bit annoyed -- and I don't blame her.

Now that I'm back I realize just how much I procrastinated. I have one creative nonfiction essay due Thursday which is supposed to be about "Firsts" and one page plus an outline of another essay due Thursday as well. That's disregarding writing up another couple of assignments plus a possible outline for a possible circle for Thursday's O.S.P.A. meeting. You would think things could space themselves out a bit more on that day, but hardly... such is the life of a college student.

When things get really busy -- because I'm not really that stressed anymore, just understanding there is only so much time and I am only human -- there are really only two options.

No! Go home, blog post! You're drunk!

One would be to actually have the initiative to get everything done as calmly as possible. Take things one step at a time. Include Mead if you must. (lol.) Breathe deeply and just power through it with the best effort you can put forward given will power. The other option is the one I try not to fall into that often -- wait until the last possible moment and then stay up all night to finish everything on time.

I don't see the use in that. I'm not so much a fan of stress, to be honest -- but again, some things I am even less of a fan of. And I get bored or lazy about things sometimes. Don't we all?

But here's a small list of non-Mead related stress relief techniques for the last few weeks of the semester.

One -- Meditate. Or, try to meditate. And when it fails, write why somewhere. If it doesn't fail, record what you experienced before, during and after.
Two -- Sleep enough. Sometimes it's impossible. All college kids know that. But getting things done early and sleeping enough helps keep things slightly sane.
Three -- Go somewhere different from normal. If you always do homework and then get distracted in your dorm/room, go find another place to help prevent aformentioned distraction.
Four -- Turn off your phone and internet until you get a good chunk of one assignment done. Take breaks, but make sure it's more homework than break.
 Five --  Read something just because it is what you like. It has kept me from losing it completely in almost every class.
Six -- Be among friends. Study together or go to dinner together. Spend an hour or so in good company. Be stressed together. Talk it out. Then get back to work.
Seven -- Get some fresh air. It's cold now, so do as you must but -- open a window, or take a short break just by standing outside of your dorm/building.
Eight -- Think of at least one positive/interesting topic for classes you hate/dread. It's difficult. I still have trouble with it. If you can find something and have the liberty to write what you want, go for it. Boring = stressful when it comes to essays.
Nine -- Sing. Just for the hell of it. At least it's a break from writing.
Ten -- Keep calm and drink Mead Coffee or Tea, but remember number two on caffeine and alcohol intake. (Peppermint might help a ton of sickness from headache to stomach ache to nasal congestion, but camomile and lavender might be great about helping deal with stress.)


I hope it helps. We forget sometimes in the rush of the semester between Thanksgiving and Yule break what it is to be calm. We forget we're only human. We forget that there would be more time for things if stress didn't make us vegetables, exhausted and unmotivated. So keep calm. And finish the semester strongly.