Being a Student With Psoriasis

Stress is seemingly unavoidable! It's almost as if everything in life brings about its own individual stressors or worries. My flares increase when I am under pressure and being a new graduate student - the pressure is always on! I started my Master's program in April and I must say the workload has been quite substantial.

I am studying education so I am also student teaching. My schedule is as follows: Student teaching Monday-Friday as well as class Monday-Thursday. Talk about busy! My social life is nonexistent and my life is full of projects, deadlines, and papers.

Managing school stress and psoriasis stress

Managing my psoriasis in addition to the growing demand of school has been very tough. I have multiple skincare routines to manage my psoriasis flares.  I have different regimes during my shower as well in the morning and at night before I go to bed.

Sometimes, I get so busy with school and homework and it becomes difficult to complete all of my skincare routines. And for me, missing a single day can lead to a flare. Through this experience, I have learned that I absolutely have to work hard to keep track of everything required of me in order to balance my personal life and the demands of my disease.

Keep a to-do list

My things to-do-list is my everything! Usually, on Sunday I take time to write out different things that I need to complete for the week. I write out upcoming tests and projects but I also include things I need to do related to my psoriasis.

For example, I am currently using light therapy for my psoriasis. If my doctor has recommended that I complete one minute of light therapy twice for the upcoming week, I will pencil this in on my things to do list.

This helps me keep track of what I need to do for my skin. I feel extremely relieved at the end of the week when I am able to check off completed items on my list.

Take time for the things you enjoy

Being a graduate student definitely consumes the majority of my free time. Often I am so busy with school that I feel like I don't have enough time for leisure activities.

To alleviate the stress of feeling overwhelmed, I pencil in at least one leisure item per week on my things-to-do-list. Even the smallest things go a very long way. Whether it is thirty minutes of watching my favorite sitcom or fifteen minutes of yoga, I find at least one activity I enjoy to fit into my schedule for the week.

Remember to pamper your skin

When life gets hectic, it becomes extremely easy to omit skin care. I have to remind myself that regardless of what I have going on, my skin needs me. Constantly reminding myself of this helps me try my hardest to stick to my skin care regimes no matter how busy I may get.