The world we live in is a crazy and often confusing one. Because of this, there are many notions and stereotypes all over the place that are unhelpful and potentially dangerous to follow. In previous articles, I’ve discussed things like perfectionism and financial decisions, both of which are examples of things that can cause unnecessary stress. Another thing that I’ve noticed can really be a stress catalyst is always being in a hurry.

I’m sure we’ve all heard it before: Don’t rush, take your time. This is another thing that probably feels like common sense to most people, but it’s still something that can creep into our lives when we’re not paying attention, and it can be very subtle at times.

I wrote an article a while back about being smart with how many credits you sign up in a semester. I mentioned how it’s not a good idea to overwhelm yourself with credits due to the workload you give yourself. While there can be a variety of reason why one would consider signing up for numerous credits, I would imagine one of those reasons is to get as many classes done at one time as possible to make life easier later. While it’s very understandable to try and decrease the workload for later, don’t put yourself in such a pressured situation now.

As a music education major, I’m looking at a five-year program. There were times when I would look at my remaining classes on myPath and think that I needed to do a little extra if I wanted to get done in five years. However, with time and progress, I began to realize that there weren’t anywhere near as many remaining classes as I previously thought, and that finishing on time is a very achievable goal.

Think about it. Imagine putting yourself through a stressful 18-credit semester only to discover afterward that it was a completely unnecessary decision. Sure, you’ve got less to worry about now, but was it worth it?

Another time when it’s easy to rush through and not be very efficient is when studying or doing an assignment. I know from experience that some (if not most) people cannot write a multiple-page paper in one day without undergoing some kind of stress, even if they have many hours to do so.

Personally, I can only work for so long before my mind begins to wander. Even if I still have hours left to work, it still becomes difficult to focus after a while. This goes hand-in-hand with some of my previous articles about breaking up your free time and planning your assignments into those times. You don’t necessarily have to follow your created schedule to the letter, but getting a little bit done at a time really does go a long way.

Like I said, this world is crazy. There’s always going to be temptations to rush and get something done quickly. The next time you’re in such a scenario, stop and really think about it for a second before making a decision.