Sometimes, the best plan is to take a break from the chaos and embrace a little bit of 'me time.'

Especially when you're nearing the end of an intense research experience or semester, it can be hard to focus. And even the little things can seem to take more effort than they should. The crushing feeling of "responsibly overload" always happens at the worst time--when you have soooo much to do and most of it is tied to a deadline.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but if you're unable to focus or feeling overwhelmed with everything you need to get done, sometimes the best remedy is to do a little bit of nothing.

Spend time outside for no reason other than to enjoy being there. Go to a movie. Hang out with friends. Go to the gym and then hang out with friends. Decide to make you a priority for an hour or two and see if that makes a difference. But for this to work, you can't obsess over what you're not accomplishing while you are spending time taking care of yourself.It won't work if you don't make a conscious effort to reduce your stress.