Stir Crazy

I'm so sorry I've been so delinquent about posting. This week was terrible schoolwork-wise!  As I said before, I had so much to do this week and I'm just happy to have survived it. I have, however, noticed a few unsettling patterns I resort to during a very stressful week that I really need to work out.

1. Bad eating habits. Whenever I'm faced with a jam-packed week with schoolwork, meetings for work, and Zeta events, food tends to be on the back burner. Aka, I indulge in foods that I otherwise would avoid...ahemmm  vvv

   

   Am I a barbarian, or what??!

   Gross, I know. I'm definitely not proud of it. (There's something about cookie dough that just makes everything better, though.) Since I cannot make meals at Zeta when I'm so busy (or do not allot time for me to go) and do not have time to go grocery shopping, that type of easy access junk food from the little convenience store across the street from my dorm hall seem reasonable to be eating for meals. Gross. After the first couple days of this week, I noticed how terribly I was feeling and had a little bit of a lightbulb. Perhaps I'm actually making myself feel worse in addition to the feeling of stress? Hmm... ;) I wasn't alone as my friend Megan was feeling the same way. We were both eating bad food because it was convenient and were feeling the effects of those bad decisions. SO we went to Publix and picked up some healthy alternative "convenience" foods. Some yummy Chobani greek yogurt and Bear Naked granola. (You probably remember, it's my favorite combo!) and a few other high protein, nutrient-rich foods to make it easy to get all of the nutrients I need in the little time I have to eat it. Some examples?
   • Bagels with dijonnaise mustard and some turkey breast (has some healthy fats, protein and on top of that, turkey is a very lean meat!)
   • Slim Fast shakes - no, not to lose weight but it's nice to have as a meal replacement with little time. I can put it in my Turvis tumbler, and I'm off! Lots of protein and other nutrients on the go! (I generally get the big container of powder and buy the milk separately rather than the individual cans.. $$ effective!)
   • Fiber One bars. They're the best! The most tasty healthy granola bars I know of. I'm personally a big fan of the Oats and Chocolate but since it is lent and I gave up chocolate, the Oats and Peanut Butter is a tasty replacement.

 Problem solved!

1. Poor exercise habits. Since during my study week I usually stay up later than usual and get less sleep than other less stressful weeks, I don't waste the little energy that I have on one run or one gym session only to be dead the rest of the day. This problem addresses a couple of issues, actually..... It brings up sleep deprivation. I am definitely an over-studier. I get paranoid about exams and try to learn every single detail of every single concept of the material on the exam plus supplementary material I find in other locations. I usually have so much going on a once that this tactic tends to cause me to lose (quite) a bit of sleep. Five to six hours a night - if that - of sleep? Terrible. As I said in my 9 Things Every College Girls Should Give Up for Lent, all-nighters are so so bad for you.  Because these two problems are such a big problem for me, I have devised my famous to-do lists! Making a schedule of my day to give me regimented time periods to get tasks done and alloting time to exercise and get a full night's sleep made the end of my week a lot more bearable. (Because of my anxiety, I forgot to make a list at the beginning of my week! Obviously I was a mess...) 

3. Going a little insane.

Self-Explanatory...

When I get overstressed, overwhelmed, and overworked, I get really negative. "Why am I an engineering major?!" "How can I get this professor fired for causing so much agony in my life?!" "Who invented the idea of higher education?.. They suck" and other questions, sometimes containing some profanities (not during lent of course..) are all thoughts running through my head. These thoughts cause my optimistic outlook on why I do everything I do to turn into super destructive crazy thoughts. After a few days of extreme sleep deprivation and a way too personal relationship with a library cubicle (hello bringing a toothbrush to the library?), these exhausted ideas run rampid.  One my solutions to this problem is to get my zzzzz's and have that handy dandy to-do list. That way, I can balance my activities a little more and not be so overwhelmed with sole thoughts of schoolwork.

These bad tendencies are reversible and need to be eradicated! Goodbye stress week mania and hello stress management techniques!  Luckily this weekend I'm at the happiest place on earth...

and can destress! Thank goodness for my little sister's spring break and my parents for having excellent timing for a getaway. 

Just an FYI: Things I'm super excited about...

1. My very own Florida Gators are taking on Butler tomorrow in the Elite Eight of March Madness to hopefully secure a spot in the Final Four. Say your prayers for us!  Gator Nation!

2. Just one week until Washington, DC, the cherry blossom festival and Devon! I'm so so so hyped. Tomorrow after relaxing by the pool for a while, my sister, her friend Angela, my parents and I are all going out into Orlando to shop. And I'm sure you know what I'm on the lookout for... the perfect cherry blossom festival dress! And some other little events while I'm up there :)

Have a wonderful weekend!!