With finals coming up soon, I realized that everyone, including myself, seems to be a lot more stressed than normal. As a Psychology major, I feel like I should share some tips I learned on how to manage and cope with stress, not only during the weeks leading up to finals, but everyday.
1. Self Care
You really need to take some time out of your day to take care of yourself, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Self-care is SO important and isn’t done enough.
2. Get plenty of sleep
Not getting enough sleep can actually cause you to become more stressed. Make sure you are getting 8-10 hours of sleep every night.
3. Find an Activity You Enjoy, and Do It
Again, even if you just take 15 minutes out of your day to do something you enjoy, it will change your mood and even help motivate you. This can be anything from exercising to reading a chapter in your favorite book.
4. Try Meditation or Breathing Exercises
I know it sounds lame, but doing meditation or breathing exercises really do help you relax. I’ve found that guided meditation is a really great thing to do. There is many videos on youtube that are quick guided meditations, or, you could download an app ( I’ve used the app HeadSpace and I really like it). For breathing exercises, one of the best techniques is to do the 4-7-8 breathing technique. To do this, inhale through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
5. Talk to someone
Whether it’s talking with a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor, sometimes just talking with someone can help relieve any stress you may be having.
These are just a few of the things you can do to cope with stress. If life ever gets too stressful to the point where it gets overwhelming, just know YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Below are some hotlines you can reach out to if you feel like you ever need to talk to someone about any kind of stress or anxiety in your life.
Crisis Call Center 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863 Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week http://crisiscallcenter.org/crisisservices-html/
Crisis Text Line (U.S. only) Text HELLO to 741741 or message us at facebook.com/CrisisTextLine to chat with a Crisis Counselor. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
HopeLine Call or text 919-231-4525 or 1-877-235-4525 https://www.hopeline-nc.org/
National Institute of Mental Health Information Center 866-615-6464 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
National Mental Health Association Hotline 800-273-TALK (8255) Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week http://www.nmha.org
TeenLine (310) 855-HOPE (4673) (800) TLC-TEEN (852-8336) (U.S. and Canada only) Or text TEEN to 839863 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Time, every night https://teenlineonline.org
*All images courtesy of Google Images and Giphy