De-Stress | Graphic by Abigail Abbott | The Wright State Guardian
Midterms are wrapping up, but the anxiety that they cause still lingers. Students should all find a reliable way to relieve their stress so they can start the second half of the semester fresh.
Everyone is different, but some common ways to relieve stress include the following:
1. Yoga and meditation
Yoga comes with many benefits for mental health, including stress relief. It is good to move around and stretch when you feel tense. This will relax your body from the outside in.
While it may seem cliché, meditation can be beneficial to relaxation as well. Meditation is the act of clearing one’s mind, which is helpful if you can not stop thinking about school. If you do not know where to start, you can pull up guided meditations or yoga for beginners on YouTube. Namaste.
2. Take a break
Turn on your TV and let your brain rot for a little while. After working hard all week and pumping your head full of information, you deserve it. If this is not the way you like to take a break, then you can always pick up a book. This could be a cheesy romance novel, some awesome news articles by the Guardian or a non-fiction book related to your major. As long as it is not class-related but something else to engage your brain, it counts.
3. Self-care
Self-care means something different to every person. You can do skin care, paint your nails, brush your hair, go to a therapy session, make a smoothie or just take an extra long shower. No matter what you decide to do, taking extra care of yourself will help relieve stress. Anything you do that makes you feel good can be qualified as self-care, whether it focuses on physical or mental health.
4. Step outside
A walk through the crisp autumn air could be just the thing you need. Just sitting on a park bench and watching the leaves cascade to the ground could take your mind off many things. Nature is so beautiful, but it is easy to forget to enjoy it when you are a busy student. After you have taken your exams, take some time to go outside and distract yourself.
5. Deep breathing exercises
When that one class pops into your mind, close your eyes and take the deepest breath you can. Hold it in for a moment, and while you do, think of this class. Then, as you exhale, visualize the class itself and the stress it has caused you leaving you. Even if this does not get rid of the issue in the long term, at least you had a moment where you were free.
6. Call a friend
To those who need to hear this: it cannot be your problematic friend. Talking to your problematic friend is proven to increase stress levels, which is not what you need right now. So send them a heartfelt text, then call your supportive, cinnamon-roll friend. Make plans to hang out in person so you can soak up a bit of their positive energy. If you are both huggers, that works even better!
7. Exercise
Some people find exercise to be relaxing because it helps them blow off steam and sweat some of their stress out. Going to a cycling class, walking your dog or doing a plank on the floor of your dorm can all be ways of breaking a sweat. Releasing bottled-up emotions is a good way to relieve stress, and exercise can be a way to release these without talking about them (talking is also very recommended, though).
8. Forget your problems
Do not take anything too seriously. You took your midterms already, so worrying about the grade will not do anything helpful now. Now, just take a day, a weekend or however long your busy schedule allows, and try to put it all out of your mind.
This is easier said than done, but if you get this chance, take it.
9. Treat yourself
Whether it is retail therapy or starting up regular therapy sessions, it is nice to take some time to prioritize yourself. While this sounds a lot like self-care, there is one key difference here: money. To treat yourself means to dip, just a little bit, into your savings account. While this may add extra stress for some people, spending money helps others blow off some steam. If this is you, then treat yourself.
10. Sleep
Sometimes after a long week, the best thing you can do is get a good night’s sleep. Maybe take a few naps throughout the week if you get the chance. Being well-rested keeps your mind sharp and in control, and an in-control brain is a less stressed brain. Bonus: you can not think about grades when you are unconscious.
