Ahh, stress. I become stressed just thinking of that word! Regardless of if we despise stress or love it, we should always embrace it. Everyone needs a little stress to thrive in life. But when the stress of school and life become too much, that is when we need to take a step back and relax. I am here to give you some tips on how to manage your stress. I am no expert, but these are some things I do when I get very stressed or things I know that have worked for other people.
- Deep Breathing. This is a method of breathing. There are many different techniques and exercises you can do that are easily found on the web. This method is to promote the oxygen supply to your brain. It is nice to take a moment to really focus on your breathing. It can help decrease stress and create a feeling of calmness.
- Mindful Meditation. This is a relaxing activity that keeps you in touch with your body. You really shut yourself down and focus only on calming thoughts and your breathing. There are many meditation apps one can download on their smartphones as well as many videos found on the web. It is something that anyone can do and it doesn’t have to be for long. Even doing 5-10 minutes can be beneficial for a human’s mind and well-being.
- Exercising. Walking, running, weightlifting, or yoga can all be very beneficial for the body physically, but also mentally. You don’t have to do an intense workout or a long one, even walking around your neighborhood or spending some time outside with your dogs, if you own one, can all be good for your body. Exercising releases endorphins that makes the mind feel happy and calmer. It can help clear up any thoughts or bad feelings you may have from the stress you accumulated.
- Napping. Whether the stress is from working on homework for hours or getting out of a stressful situation, taking a nap can heal your mind. Taking a 30 minute or hour nap can escape you from your troubles you are currently having. I always love to nap if I had a particular stressful day or if I didn’t get as much sleep the night before.
- Listen to music. I always enjoy listening to music for any occasion. I listen to music while I eat, doing work, exercising, or taking a walk. I think it is very relaxing when you have a good playlist going. There are tons of ‘chill playlist’ put together on YouTube if you don’t want to make one of your own. Also, I will sometimes just sit on the couch and put on a playlist and fall asleep while listening.
- Take a warm bath or hot shower. When you are having a rough day, being able to unwind at the end of the day is essential. Making yourself a warm bath can ease your muscles and feel really nice. Or if you aren’t a person that likes to take baths, taking a hot shower can feel just as soothing. I love closing my eyes, listening to music, and enjoying the warm water of the bath. I add some bath salts to add to the aroma and relaxation.
- Disconnect yourself. Sometimes what we need is to disentangle ourselves from the world. We need to power down. The best way to do this is to remove ourselves completely from distractions. Turn off the phone, be away from the television and focus on yourself. Read, sit on the couch, play a board game, do something that doesn’t involve electronics. I feel like we stress ourselves out more when we are on our phones and computers, being aware of everything that needs to get done, or constantly seeing the notifications ding. Being able to remove ourselves from all that noise a little bit everyday can make us feel less stressed.
- Write. Open up your journal and write about your day. Sometimes you may have a lot of thoughts and emotions and it is good to just write it all down. Or even sketch what you’re feeling if you can’t formulate words. I know a couple of my friends keep bullet journals to track their progress and growth every day. Also, I know some people who will creatively write to get their frustration or stress out.
- Spend Time with Family and (furry)Friends. If you are stressed from school or personal troubles, take the time to hang out with your family or your friends. Currently it is hard to spend time with friends, but because of the technology we possess it is very easy to call a family member or a friend that is not close by. It is nice to just have a conversation with someone, even if it’s just to distract yourself from what is bothering you. I enjoy getting my mind off of the problem and having that kind of distraction. Also, if you have a furry friend, take some time to give your animal attention and affection. Playing with my dogs always makes me feel better.
- Take a break to do a fun activity. A lot of the time our engines are always running and we continue to work even when our gas tank is empty. It helps us to take a break from what we are doing and spend that time doing something we enjoy. Everyone has their own idea of nirvana whether that be gardening, solving puzzles, or playing video games. Whatever activity that brings you a peace of mind, spend maybe 15-30 minutes and then go back to your school work.
Written by Grace M., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.