I don’t know what your situation is, but I’d like to just toss out a few ideas that I always have to turn to when I feel under pressure or stressed by the quantity of work I have to accomplish, especially under a specific time constraint. They may not be healthy (in fact, most people would likely state that they are really, really bad ideas), and they may not work for anyone but me, but they work so well, I figured I’d share them with anyone who wants to listen.
1) Make a list of what you have to do. In fact, make multiple, well organized, categorized lists. It helps you conceptualize your tasks, and, if possible, it can help you eliminate things which aren’t 100% necessary in the context of everything else you have to do. Then, there is nothing more satisfying than crossing something off of your list and being able to say, I am 1/12 of the way through… then something else, 1/6 of the way through… And so on.
2) Don’t take breaks, rather, have a very specific time set aside to begin, and spend as much time before that in a relaxed, happy environment, sort of as a preemptive break. Then you can begin feeling fully nourished from the beginning. It will be easy to do when you consider the knowledge that you will be done all of your tasks very soon.
3) Go, go, go! Once you’ve begun, don’t stop, no matter how much you have to do. This ties into my opinion of sleep, it is unnecessary! I have been very ill, and over the past few days I have caught up on almost everything I’ve missed in school (not to say that I am out of the water yet); I have not slept in four days, and there is no end in sight, but you just have to keep going, because if you stop, you won’t start up again.
4) Music is essential to your success. Find a song that works, and put it on repeat. For whatever reason, “Rock Lobster” by the B52s, and “Once in a Lifetime” by The Talking Heads (apparently I’ve become very eighties oriented) have been my saving graces, and I’ve alternated between the two almost exclusively for the past few days.
I hope this has helped, but this wont have without me stressing fully how imperative it is that you do not stop, stopping is death, and death is, well bad. Do not stop, because if you do, you will have to face your taskload. Just keep going!
