Balance: Time Management and Calming Techniques for Overwhelmed College Students

Life as a college student can feel like a constant race. Between exams, assignments, part-time jobs, and social obligations, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, empty, or even hopeless, know that you’re not alone. Many students struggle with time management and balancing the pressures of academic life with everything else.

First, let’s pause. When everything feels like too much, a simple but powerful tool to help calm your mind and reset is a focused breathing exercise. This quick technique can help you regain a sense of control during moments of intense stress:

Box Breathing Technique: A Simple Way to Calm Your Mind

Box breathing is a great way to quickly reduce stress, especially when you feel like things are spiraling. Here’s how it works:

1. Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 seconds (count in your head).
2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds.
4. Hold for another 4 seconds before repeating.

Try repeating this process three to five times, focusing on the counts and the feeling of your breath. It’ll bring you back to the present moment, slow your heart rate, and create a little mental space. Once your mind is clearer, it’s easier to start tackling what’s in front of you.

Tips for Managing Time and Feeling Less Overwhelmed

Once you’ve calmed your nerves, it’s important to break the feeling of being overwhelmed into manageable steps. Here are a few practical tips to regain control of your schedule:

1. Prioritize tasks by breaking them down. Use the "urgent vs. important" matrix to determine what needs your attention now and what can wait.
2. Use time blocks for focused work periods. Work for 25-30 minutes, take a short break, and repeat.
3. Be kind to yourself. Accept that no one can do it all at once. Progress, no matter how small, is still progress.

If you’re finding that time management challenges are constant and lead to long-term stress or anxiety, there’s something else you might find useful before considering therapy.

The Pretherapy Box: A Practical Tool to Prepare Before You Need to Repair

For students with ADHD or those feeling consistently overwhelmed, the Pretherapy Box is a great option to help you build coping skills. Think of it as DIY guidance for those tough moments. The box provides tools and techniques designed to support you in learning effective strategies to manage stress, time, and the complex emotions that come with being a student. It’s like having a personal toolkit that helps you before things get too overwhelming, preparing you before you feel like you need to repair.

As its slogan says, “Prepares before you need to repair,” the Pretherapy Box gives you the tools to take action, so you can develop healthy coping mechanisms before stress takes control. By using resources like this, you’re empowering yourself to handle challenges independently—building resilience and understanding your needs better.

Remember, it’s okay to seek help, whether that’s through tools like the Pretherapy Box or eventually talking to a counselor. Taking small steps now can make a world of difference in the long run. You’ve got this!