So you’ve landed that job that you wanted or are simply preparing for whatever comes next –more school, a more competitive job, or a long-anticipated move.

Stress is probably the icing on the cake that makes this period of transition even more difficult.

A forty-hour work week is commonplace, although minimal in this day in age especially for young, recent graduates. With everyone telling you to “keep going, keep moving forward, realize your dreams and be glad to have a job,” it is easy to lose sight of the fact that productivity and efficiency go hand in hand with relaxation and recreation.

Let it be known that I am not a medical doctor, therapist or counselor of any sort. Nevertheless, as a recent graduate, 40-hour working, LSAT-preparing, application writing twenty-something year-old, I have unquestionably learned a thing or two about stress. More importantly, I have devised a few daily techniques that help to alleviate the added stress that my full load gives me:

• Have a therapeutic morning routine designed specifically for reflection. driving to work listening to music full blast, a morning jog, a long hot shower, reading on the train –anything that helps to both relieve stress and organize your thoughts constructively before the long day ahead
• Breathe! Your brain functions benefits from long, deep breaths just as much as the rest of your body does…Breathing in while counting to ten as well as exhaling in a similar fashion is a free ticket out of panic mode and gives your body instant gratification
• Organize your day efficiently. Over-burdening yourself with too many tasks will only exacerbate an already stressful situation or environment. Plan your day out with realistic, achievable goals… Don’t add burdens by jotting down task after task that you are not 100 percent sure are needed to complete that day.
• Take a break. As unproductive as it may sound, relaxing for 5-10 minutes may just give you the extra kick that you need to finish that project in 2 hours.
• Think positively. True, it is old and overused, but feeling good about yourself and what you’re doing is reflected in the work that you do. Tell yourself that you can do it, that you will do it and you will finish because you are good at what you do.
• Exercise. Whether it’s running, jogging, swimming, yoga, playing basketball, a 3-day-a-week or more workout routine will help to ease much of a long week’s stress and anxiety.
• Sleep! The importance of sleep should never be taken lightly. A good night’s rest goes a long way in making you sharp and prolific for the next workday.

Although this regimen may seem a bit tedious and like yet another weight added to your shoulders, any one of these tips can unquestionably help to alleviate some of the day’s pressure and help you to think more clearly throughout the day. Doing so will not only reduce your stress level but it can also heighten your senses and maximize your productivity.