I put my SCUBA certifications on my resume mostly because I’m really proud of all the certifications I’ve earned and also because if my future employer or interviewer is a diver, we automatically have something to talk about. However, recently I have realized that I’ve learned something from diving that I can use in just about everything I do… It’s the #1 Rule of Diving: Keep breathing.

When I was 12 years old and my instructor explained this rule, I thought he was joking. I thought that was the most ridiculous rule. After my first open ocean dive, I started to understand because it’s definitely a reflex to hold your breath as you go underwater, but that’s dangerous and feels awful. But now, as I endure the stress that is the end of junior year, I’m starting to understand how this rule could apply to practically every part of my life.

For example, during interviews, I always feel like I have to jump and answer the question immediately, but then I end up talking very quickly (and kind of squeakily…) and not thinking about my answer before I say it. I met with two of my best friends before an interview I had last week and before I left I asked them for last minute advice and they both said the same thing, “BREATHE.” Got it. Noted. Breathing.

Similarly, if I don’t remember to keep breathing during presentations (or during my dance performances) I end up talking WAY too quickly. Plus, there’s also that whole light-headed-feeling that is quite suboptimal…

Also, when I’m stressed and overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do and meetings I have to attend… Everything seems a lot less terrifying and a lot more doable if I just remember to take a few seconds to breathe. (And then I continue to breathe as I do my work and attend my meetings. That’s an important step… Apparently.)

Basically, as we enter these next few weeks of stress on stress on stress, I’m giving you the same advice my SCUBA instructor gave me nine years ago: Keep breathing. There’s only so much time we can spend in the library and there are only so many Motley coffees we can drink in a day, and ultimately, neither of those options are really going to be beneficial in the long run. It’s probably best to have a backup solution to help cope with stress long term, and breathing might not be the whole plan, but it’s a good first step. So as exams approach, I’m reminding you to keep breathing. (Also, please keep eating, drinking water, and sleeping… but the breathing one can cause the most immediate problems.)