Ruby in the Sky

So… the past few days have been absolute mayhem. I have been finishing my high school thesis and even though we were totally on schedule, the home stretch always brings about some stress. As I’m writing this, it’s actually just past midnight, just past our deadline and I’m tired beyond your imagination. Seems like the perfect time to write a blog post, eh?

It’s easy to lose your head in a situation where you have to do everything at once and it feels like everybody wants something from you, right now, right here. So here’s a mini guide to keeping 5% of your cool when you find yourself overwhelmed and under pressure, as learned over the past days of horror.

#1 Breathe.

When the world is getting to you and you feel a minor black-out coming on, focus on your breathing. Not only will it calm your body down (because all that stuff with oxygen and bloodstream), but your mind will be in calmer waters too. By focusing on your breath you can zone out, give yourself some space to calmly process everything around you and then come back to planet earth a more serene spirit.

#2 Sleep.

This is probably the toughest one to maintain, but in a period of prolonged stress, sleep is of the essence even more than usual. Yes, I understand that you won’t finish your essay in time if you stop writing now, but try to think of it like this: anything you write now will be only a fraction of the quality you could deliver if you were actually, you know, awake. So go to sleep now and wake up a little earlier, if you must – but remember that working with a clear head is many times more productive.

#3 Take breaks.

This one is similar in reasoning to #2: you will be half as productive if you just stare at your screen/book/person/whatever. Even if it’s just a quick snack-run or a lap around the room: get up, move that body, shake it off, whatever you can think of. On the same note: eat. If you get hungry, you will get hangry and if you get hangry, you won’t get shit done and you’ll end up crying in a corner. Based on real events.

I would give you more tips, but this is a mini guide – and I’m super tired. Still, I hope I managed to prevent you some headaches! Now it’s time for me to log off and have a good ol’ nap (and a social life once again!) Goodnight!

What do you do to de-stress?

Love, Ruby