Category: stress

My Top 5 Ways To Procrastinate

Published on by Paige DoltonLeave a comment

Congratulations, friend! You are already succeeding at procrastinating– you are reading this right now! Whatever it is that you are putting off, yes, you are right; it can definitely wait until later! Why do the things we don’t want to do when there are so many alternative ways to spend your time? As someone who excels in procrastinating, I know how perfectly enjoyable and miserable it is, so I empathize with you. I wouldn’t call myself a slacker, and I even wouldn’t say that I don’t have time management skills, I just choose to manage my time specifically so that I leave everything I need to do for the last minute. Hey, I’ve gotten this far, right? Well, if you find yourself reading this, then that probably means you are currently procrastinating so without further ado, here are the top five ways I put off doing things that I probably should be doing.

5. Writing Blog Posts Like This One
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but if you look at my track record, I either blog when I have either too much time on my hands or when I am utter and complete crunch-mode. In this instance, it’s most definitely the latter. If writing isn’t your thing, however, perusing through blogs is another great form of procrastination. If you’re female, then you probably already have at least two or three blogs that you tend to check out from time to time. If you’re male, then I sincerely hope the only time you look at blogs is to try and understand why your girlfriend is looking at blogs all the time. In fact, I should just say right now that all of my procrastination techniques are female-oriented. Men, by all means continue reading, but just know this.

4. Pinterest
One of the classic procrastination tools, Pinterest is where you should turn when you just can’t bear to look at your ten page essay any longer and need to be visually stimulated by something, ANYTHING. You can always do the classic Pinterest exploration and just scroll endlessly through recipes, DIYs and clothes that all of your friends have pinned throughout the day, or you can take my advice and click one of those category tabs at the top that you for some reason have never clicked. Trust me when I say that you will find some actually interesting pins that are more worth your time than that “Secret 5-Minute Flat Abs Exercise” all of your friends are re-pinning. When procrastinating, make sure to stay on Pinterest for a maximum amount of ten minutes at a time. Since it’s something that requires very little brain activity, ten minutes is the perfect amount of time for a study break, but if you are in the long haul of procrastination mode, it’s most definitely not embarassing to be caught on Pinterest for two+ hours…right?

3. Facebook
Think about it. There is actually very little to do on Facebook. Of course you check your Newsfeed and scroll until you physically cannot scroll anymore, and then you go through your tagged photos to make sure that you still look as good as you thought you did when you looked at them earlier, and then you go stalk your usual list of Facebook friends whose lives for some reason you are so entranced with, and then…well, that’s about it. That’s why this is the perfect procrastination tool. Similar to Pinterest, this requires very little brain activity, so Facebook breaks should last no more than ten minutes each, or else you know you’re getting a little too out of hand. Another way to use Facebook as a procrastination tool is when you find yourself just staring at your computer screen and not even thinking about what you are doing. Oh, you’re on photo #579 of your ex-boyfriend’s little brother’s best friend? Totally normal.

2. Call a Friend From High School
You heard me; STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER SCREEN. A much more productive way to procrastinate when you have many other things that need to get done is to pick up your phone and make a call. Since most of your friends at school probably have the same crazy workload that you’re putting off as you do, they will be less likely to want to chit-chat. How about one of your best friends you haven’t really talked to (texting doesn’t count) for about two months? Give her a ring and she’ll probably be so excited to see your name light up on her phone. In my experience, these procrastination/study break phone calls tend to last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes in length, but they are the best for giving your head that clean slate you might need in order to get your work done. Chances are, she’ll be procrastinating, too, so you two can go on and on about all of the things you should be doing instead of talking to eachother.

1. BuzzFeed
And here we have it. My #1 source for procrastination. BuzzFeed is without a doubt the best site to go to when you don’t feel like doing anything productive whatsoever. With endless ‘articles’ filled with photos, videos and GIFS, you can find yourself entertained for days. BuzzFeed is the new StumbleUpon. As soon as you’re done looking at the 26 things you miss about 90’s television shows, five more suggested posts appear as if from out of thin air, and your noggin is once again entertained. WARNING: do not go to BuzzFeed unless you are serious about procrastinating, because you WILL be sucked in and, trust me, it is very hard to get yourself to click the X on the BuzzFeed tab at the top of your screen. Proceed to this website with caution, and good luck in all of your procrastination endeavors, my friends.

It’s Just Senior Year…No Pressure.

Published on by Paige DoltonLeave a comment

So here we are, back at school, ready to begin our last and final year of collegiate learning. Classes have been going strong for about almost two weeks, we’ve all settled in, and fall is under way. Hell, we’ve even already got a football game under our belt (war damn who?)! All of this can only lead to one thing, right? Anxiety.

A midst all the craziness between getting back to school, moving back into my apartment, getting an internship, sorority recruitment, and classes starting, you would think that now that everything is settled down it would be a cakewalk. Nope; not for me. I find myself constantly feeling like there is something I should be doing that I’m not, or that there is a certain way I am supposed to feel that I’m not. Yes, I actually just said that. No, I am not trying to be dramatic. It’s the truth. With the title ‘Senior Year’ comes a lot of pressure. Everyone tells you that your senior year is going to be the “best year yet!” so I feel like my every action or inaction needs to hold true to that statement; it has to be the best one yet of anything I have ever done. Is any of this even making sense?

Wait, are you telling me I need to have a job after this year? What, are you kidding? That actually gives me negative anxiety [Disclaimer: I have absolutely no job lined up and should probably be stressed about this.] I don’t particularly know how else to describe it. I just have this daunting feeling that a lot is riding on this senior year. We’ve all seen the movies, heard our parents’ stories, etc.

So this is officially our last ride around the block. Let’s make it count. Cheers.

Things I’m Currently Flustered With

Published on by Paige Dolton2 Comments

Seeing as it’s been exactly an entire semester since I’ve last blogged (literally, my previous post was about surviving Finals in December), I figure Finals Week is the perfect time to jump back into the blogosphere. For those of my honorary readers (I know there are soooo many of you) who have been worried sick about me because I have not taken the time to update on here, never fear, I have not died. Just in case I don’t promote Her Campus Clemson enough on my Facebook and Twitter, this is the part of my blog where I inform you all that I do, in fact, have a life. I don’t have much of a life, but I do have one, I promise.

Nevertheless, today’s blog post was inspired by my immense confusion and frustration with mundane things that have distracted me from studying for my one final exam. Well, that, and my dear friend Hayley‘s uncanny ability to maintain her blogging even though she’s graduating, have inspired me to step back up to the plate of expressing my thoughts and hoping someone, somewhere, finds me even remotely interesting. Enjoy.

Things I am Currently Flustered With:

Jessica Simpson & Her Child
Before I say anything, let me clarify that I am actually a huge fan of Jessica Simpson if not only because of her spectacular shoe line. However, there are so many questions swirling my brain pertaining to this topic. The poor woman looked like she weighed as much as

I just don't understand how these two people are the same person.

a small baby elephant. How did she carry on a normal life, let alone walk at all? There are even pictures of her walking in her 3rd trimester in heels. Yes, heels. WHY?! HOW?! It just doesn’t seem plausible. So, yes, naturally, upon hearing news of J.Simp’s birth, I was expecting to hear the announcement of not one, but two children. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if  a small African village was burn unto Jessica. In addition to being flustered as to Jessica Simpson’s size, I was completely blindsided by the announcement of the child’s name: Maxwell Drew Johnson. Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually a perfectly normal baby name, especially coming from Hollywood. The only problem is, the child is a girl. I just can’t quite wrap my head around this one. I guess celebrity baby names were just becoming so ridiculous that Jessica didn’t think she could think of something crazy enough, so she just did a complete 180° and identified her child with the opposite sex. Totally normal. Jessica, I was really holding out for you. Now, I’m just incredibly confused.

The Clemson Chipotle & Its Lack of Being Open
If you know me at all, you know that I will do anything and everything for Chipotle. Some say that my obsession is something I should be embarrassed about, some say that I don’t know what I’m talking about and Moe’s is better (joke of the day), and some are intimidated by such strong feelings for a burrito. Upon hearing news that Clemson was given the honor to receive a Chipotle Mexican Grill, it’s safe to say that I was on another planet. No longer would I have to endure the lackluster burritos from Moe’s; no longer would I have to drive 45 minutes to Greenville to satisfy my craving; no longer would I be without my sacred Chipotle. Month after month, I waited patiently for the construction to come to an end, for there to be a grand opening, of which I would be the first in line, and nothing happened. Unsatisfied with the results, I took to Twitter and communicated with Chipotle HQ only to found out that the Clemson, SC location would be opening right around the first week of May. Huzzah! My calendars were marked, and my countdown began. It was only until recently that I decided to correspond with Chipotle HQ, again via Twitter, to inquire about the status of the glorious food chain. To my dismay and utter distraught, I was informed that the Clemson Chipotle was not expected to open its doors until late May, early June. I was filled with immense sadness and confusion, both of which could only be satisfied by a burrito bowl, and have since attempted to carry on my day-to-day activities without being overcome with too much a melancholy feeling.

The Activities of Library Dwellers During Finals Week
Seeing as I am writing this blog post instead of creating a study guide for my final exam on Friday, yes, I am currently located in Cooper Library. A frequent dweller of this six-story study nook, I believe myself to be an expert on the appropriate behavior and etiquette of those that choose to come to Cooper to get their work done. However, apparently, some people believe that  the proper library etiquette and behavior are thrown out the window during Finals Week, and that they are free to behave like savages. This, my friends, is false. The following is a list of things that are, in fact, still unacceptable during Finals Week:

  1. Discussing mundane details of your life at an octave higher than the respectable ‘library voice’. No, young freshman, I do not care to hear about your all-nighter and how you managed to accomplish nothing but Facebook stalk (amateur), and I especially don’t want to hear you discuss this event so loudly that I cannot hear myself think.
  2. Listening to your music so loudly that I can sing along with you. I beg your pardon, but that’s what my own headphones are for. It might be hard for you to believe, but listening to Nicki Minaj via your headphones turned all the way up is actually intrusive to my learning, and most likely intrusive to your learning, as well.
  3. Sitting in a spot with immediate access to a plug and not using your computer. Have you no manners? Or are you just an idiot? Most likely, you are both, and it is quite possible that I will stare at you until you feel uncomfortable (as you should) and remove yourself from the premises.
  4. Blatantly Facebooking for over half an hour whilst other people need the computer/plug. I can see you. No, really, I am watching you Facebook stalk. And doing this before it’s even dark outside? Give me a break. Everyone knows the only acceptable time to Facebook stalk in the library is once the sun has gone down, thus allowing your lack of focus to be somewhat excusable.
  5. Even existing in the library if you are not a Clemson student. I’m sorry, but the creepy locals that meander in Cooper and are, more often than not, seated at the library computers have got to go. Not only are you not conducive to my learning environment, you’re just flat out annoying. Leave your marital problems, inexcusable loudness,  and tending to your Farmville crops outside of my university library.

I’ve become too bothered with the nearby library-dweller who just needs to listen to his music at full capacity (on his airplane headphones, I might add) that I need to bring my flustered thoughts to an end. Enjoy, and if you have any spare time in your life this week, why, yes, I would love a Chipotle burrito bowl! Thanks for asking!