Photo by: Greg Lau

Guidelines for time management and stress control were presented at the Stress and Anxiety Management Workshop, held Thursday by representatives from DU’s Health and Counseling Center.

The workshop was aimed at first-year law school students who need help adapting to a heavier workload in the transition between undergraduate and graduate studies.

However, the tips presented at the workshop are applicable to all DU students, particularly around finals.

Casey Wolfington, a pre-doctoral intern at the Center, spoke about different types of stress experienced by students and how that stress is both healthy and unhealthy.

“Stress is needed to help you get motivated, be creative,” she said, but once a person reaches his or her stress threshold, it can become “overwhelming” and “debilitating”.

Tips for overcoming these anxious feelings include talking to friends or counselors, dealing actively with the situation, and physical activity.

Physical activity falls under the umbrella of self care. Self care is extremely important both in the reduction of stress and in organizing one’s time. It includes physical, mental, and spiritual care.

People become burnt out when they ignore self care, resulting in less effective studying.

Time management is the system by which a person decides his or her priorities and accomplishes his or her goals, according to Terri Osborn, director of counseling services.

She reminded her audience that everyone has the same number of hours to work with in a single week: 168 to be exact.

Once one subtracts hours spent sleeping, in class, or at work, there are only approximately 67 hours left to work with.

“No one can do everything that presents itself in life,” she said, but it is important not only to make choices but to follow through with those choices.

One of the best ways to improve one’s time management is to make a schedule. Set weekly goals. Double the time estimate for completing a task. Eliminate “dead hours”, time spent sitting and not doing anything.

Incorporate breaks into study sessions. There should be a 10 minute break included in every one hour of studying. “Your mind needs a break in order to work efficiently,” said Osborn.

Breaks can include scheduling in time to watch a football game, go for a run, or simply relax with friends. Participating in enjoyable social activities allows for more efficient studying and can help keep you motivated and on task.

Osborn’s key advice was, “stretch yourself but don’t break yourself.”