Help with dealing with stress..? PLEASE

ok time for ali to rant cuz shes not having a good day.

ok my mom was bitching at me because my sorority bill was sent to her instead of me for some reason, and how she can't afford that extra bill, and blah blah even though she said she would help me pay for it, and now shes not..so i'm super frustrated about that.i have an aunt who is in rehab right now for drinking, and so the whole family is super stressed about that..and when my mom gets stressed she kinda takes it out on me a little bit. and i dont' have time to deal with that added stress on me right now.

ok my dad...he doesn't support me in anything i do. he doesn't want me to transfer, hes making me go with him and my stepmoms family for thanksgiving, he always just makes me feel like a terrible person because i change my mind, and i make mistakes. and for some reason, thats not allowed. but hes still fine, and he thinks everything is ok. but now, i keep calling him and emailing him, and he keeps not responding to me. he hasn't called me back since this past weekend, and he hasn't returned any of my emails. and i don't like being ignored by him cuz i know that he does it when hes mad at me for something. so its annoying.

ok classes...my theatre costuming class is kicking my butt. we had to do 10 sketches for this play "the birds" by aristophanes. well, my teacher didn't like my idea for when/where to set it, so she gave me what to do. and i did the sketches, and she decided she didn't like them. so she gave me 2 days to redo all ten. so i'm finishing those now. and i had to write a costume review of another show that we had to go see, but she didn't tell us how to write one. so i pulled it out of the air. no clue what she'll give me on it. i'm terrified i'm gonna fail this class, and if i do, its not TOO big a deal cuz i don't need it, but it will bring down my GPA a ton and then transferring won't really be an option. so i need to have a good grade, but i just can't do all the work.

ok piano...so i haven't been practicing as much as i have to. i should be practicing 24 hours a week, and i just can't. last week i practiced 14, and my teacher yelled at me. i'm just not good enough right now..i'm not cutting it. i need to be better than i am. so this week i've been really trying to bump up my hours of practice..and today i only got 2 hours in. yesterday i only got 3. i should be at about 3 1/2 hours a day. and i'm not. i just can't do it. i have so many classes and so much other work that i don't have time to practice that much too.

ok and so i haven't slept in like, 9 days. i normally try to go to bed around midnight or 1,...but then i lay there and think of things that i need to do and didn't, or need to do the next day...i normally end up getting up and doing more work, then going back to bed at 2 or 3, then i just lay there and i'll sleep for like an hour, then wake up and lay there for an hour. and i just wanna sleep. i just want one restful night where i don't have to worry about what i need to do the next day. i'm soooo exhuasted and tired and i just can't function. during the day, all i wanna do is sleep, but i dont' have time. i barely even have time to eat anymore..which reminds me..i didn't even eat dinner tonight.

i miss kyle. hes my best friend from home, for those of you who don't know. hes always been there for me through everything. but now, hes 1000 miles away and we've kind of stopped making time for each other. in dec, we're taking a 4 day trip to NYC together, just me and him, and he says he misses me and everything, but i really do miss him. i just miss having him around for the stupid stuff, like going to the grocery store at 1 am, or driving 2 hours to go see his dad for dinner, or playing in the rain late at night...and yeah, i never dated him, but i miss cuddling with him. we were always so close..best friends..and we always wanted to date, but never did...and now the chance is gone, but i still want him. its really frustrating. and he wants me to transfer to boston to be near him, but i can't let myself make a big decision like where to go to school because of a person...

ok thats all. sorry about the long post..i just..i'm really upset and sad right now and i feel like i'm gonna die soon because i have an endless work load, and i never get a break, and i don't have time for anything anymore. and its killing me.


anyone have any advice for how to not be so stressed? i feel like i'm gonna die if i don't get some rest soon...thanks.

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hmm...well, technically I think iflitifloat is right but...I will try to help you solve one problem.

"ok and so i haven't slept in like, 9 days. i normally try to go to bed around midnight or 1,...but then i lay there and think of things that i need to do and didn't, or need to do the next day...i normally end up getting up and doing more work, then going back to bed at 2 or 3, then i just lay there and i'll sleep for like an hour, then wake up and lay there for an hour. and i just wanna sleep. i just want one restful night where i don't have to worry about what i need to do the next day. i'm soooo exhuasted and tired and i just can't function. during the day, all i wanna do is sleep, but i dont' have time. i barely even have time to eat anymore..which reminds me..i didn't even eat dinner tonight."

Having a set bedtime and wake-up time is crucial. Whether it's a weekday or weekend, it should be about the same time.
Do whatever you need to do that you can remember before you lie down. Once you lie down- DON'T GET UP- NO MATTER WHAT!
Always have a piece of paper/pen near your bed. If you happen to think of something you have to do the next day or whenever, write it down.
If you cannot fall asleep, do not look at the clock! Turn it around so you cannot see it. If you look at often, you are only going to make yourself more crazy by telling your self you only have so long to sleep.
Take deep breaths and focus on your breathing. I know it sounds dumb, but it works. If a thought comes into your mind, let it pass. Don't dwell on it. If you have to, write it down.
Make sure all your lights are out and there is nothing you can see. Lava lamps and all that "COOL" stuff should be off.

This may sound strict but if you truly want to help yourself and keep your body healthy- do it!

Good luck!

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I did the whole sorority thing for one semester. It was fun, but it was hurting my grades and taking away time from my life. IF these girls are really your friends they will understand if you quit or if you take a semester off to get your life together. As far as family goes, I can't help you there. I am still working on that one. I just ignore most of their BS and go about my own life, but I am married and paying my own way through college, so that might have something to do with it. Good luck hon and just relax. Cut out the extras in your life that aren't crucial and take time for you.

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Simplify is right. Don't brood about the things you can't do anything about- it sounds like you're overloaded with work, so just think about what you need to have done for the next day, and then the day after that, and so on. Make lists. Crossing them out again is strangely satisfying. :) And keep a regular schedule of food and sleep- I've done the whole "not sleeping" thing, and the end results aren't pretty. Good luck.