Stay organized. It’ll help you be in control, and that helps you keep stress at bay.

Take mini-breaks throughout your day to chill out. Whether it’s to catnap, write in a journal, or take a walk, do something you enjoy regularly. Changing your surroundings even for five or ten minutes can give you a new perspective on your workload and let you feel more relaxed, energized, and much less stressed.

Make sure you give yourself one BIG chunk of time at least once a week to have fun. Just like sleep is essential for your body, free time is essential for your spirit.

Don’t beat yourself up. Remember, everybody makes mistakes, and nobody’s perfect. So don’t sweat every detail of every school assignment or work demand. Use stress to motivate you to get things done, and when you DO get things done, be proud of yourself.

Accept that there are going to be things you can’t change. Maybe you hate a certain course you’re taking or the professor is a complete bore. Stressing over these things won’t do anything to change the situations, so be comforted by the fact that it won’t last forever.

Realize that you’ll always be stressed over something. The fact is, you WILL get that test over with, but chances are it will be replaced by another assignment that stresses you out too. Be realistic— life always throws you curve balls, and you simply need to deal with each thing as it comes as best you can.

Head to the gym. Even if you’re not a big workout person, spending 20 minutes on the treadmill or lifting weights can relieve stress and make you feel 100 times better. Once you relieve the stress, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to face your day.

Get support from your friends. When you talk through what’s stressing you out, you’ll find out that other people are going through stuff too. And ironically, that doesn’t make you feel worse– knowing you’re not alone is one of the best stress reducers of all.

Be aware of the effects of alcohol and drugs. Using substances on a regular basis can make you feel even more stressed out. The time you waste recovering from hangovers only prevents you from getting work done, and the toll that substance use and abuse takes on your body makes you think less clearly and even messes with your ability to retain what you learn, which means you’ll have to work even harder to keep your grades up. So before you reach for a drink or a drug when you’re stressed out, ask yourself: is it really worth it?