With school, sports, extracurriculars, and other responsibilities it becomes really easy for lots of obligations to stack up for college athletes. When your workload begins to look insurmountable it's also easy to get overwhelmed and shut down. Here are five tips to either prevent overloading yourself or to relieve yourself of some stress so that college athletes can avoid burning out.
- Make sure you are physically taking care of your body and mind.
Eat good food, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep. There are only so many hours in the day, but don't make a routine of sacrificing sleep.
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- Plan your work.
Use the calendar in your phone or if a physical reminder is more effective for you then get a wall calendar or a whiteboard and put important due dates and reminders where you can easily see them and get ahead of work before it piles up.
- Say “no.”
Know when what you've got on your plate already is enough for you. There is no need to take on extra responsibilities or roles when you are already busy. Opting out of things to focus on necessary tasks and your main interests is not being a quitter, it's being realistic and responsible. Remember, saying “no” can be an important act of self-care.
- Switch things up.
If you have been doing something very physically demanding, switch to something more mentally demanding or vice versa. For example, after coming back from a lift might be a good time to work on a paper. Or after working on a tedious assignment switch to something less involved like doing your laundry or going for a relaxing walk.
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- Give yourself some free wins.
When you write out a to-do list or add something to your calendar make sure to add in some simple tasks that you might normally push off like washing dishes or taking out the trash. When you have a list of 10 things to do and you can knock 2 of them off the list in under 10 minutes you trick yourself into feeling more motivated since the ball is already rolling. Every athlete loves to win so give yourself a little win or two whenever possible!
College athletes are known for staying busy and on the go. Remember to slow down and take care of yourself, too.
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* Originally published on May 26, 2022, by Cole Wimmer
