Midterm season is fast approaching. And upon reading that word, your blood pressure probably shot up a litte bit. As the semester really kicks into gear in October, stress is much more easily obtained. Yet as you start studying for midterms and writing term papers, there are few things you should remember that can help you fight the irksome villian of stress.
5) Eat plenty of avocados: Ever hear the saying, ‘you are what you eat’? Well this is true for this vitamin packed super fruit. Avocados have a ton of vitamin B, which is a stress and anxiety alleviating vitamin. And as for that increase in blood pressure we were talking about – well avovados also have postassium and monosaturated fat which helps to bring down bloodpressure. So when your feeling down in the dumps, and when you want to pig out on foods like ice cream or chips, reach for the healthier option of avocados. The fruit is so versatile, so you can put it in pretty much anything. You can make homemade guacamole with diced tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon, and add multi-grain chips and you have the perfect afternoon snack. You can also put in your sandwhich or slice it on top of a salad, either way, it will help you to feel less stressed.
4) Consider getting a massage: Often when your stressed, you tend to tense up, or sit hunched over, causing your muscles to tighten up. This in turn, can cause aches and pains in you back or neck. And during a time such as midterms, you usually have to carry a lot on your shoulders, both literally and figuratively. Not only will getting a massage hepl untie the knots you may have in your back, it will also relax you. I recently had this problem since I was stressed out, my back was killing me, but once I went to get a massage, it immediately went away. Here at SF State, the Holistic health department is offering free massages on Thursday. This takes place in the HSS Building in room 306 from 11am to 1pm. They offer ‘Chair’ and ‘Thai’ massages. So next time if you walking past the HSS building and feel the need to get rid of some stress or just relax before your class then consider a massage!
3) Just take a deep breath: This one may sound more cliche than the others, and whenever people tell me to take a deep breath I think, ‘really what else is there to do?’ However, just simply pausing and taking a deep breath if your starting to feel overwhelmed can really help. Think of it this way, when you breath out your breathing out all the negative thoughts and worries that can lead to stress. Especially if yout take deep breaths, then it will icrease the oxygen supply that travels to your brain, and will help stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. This can help elict a state of calmness.
2) Exercise: Another good way to manage your stress is to exercise. This will both benefit your body and your mind. 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise can give a boost to your brain’s feel good hormones called endorphins. Not to mention, if you regularly exercise, it can boost your confindence as well. Go for a jog, go to the gym, play soccer with your roommates. The more that you are in motion, the better you will feel, and you’ll forget about your stress when your trying to focus on kicking the ball past the goalie. Exercise definitely helps me; as much as I hate running, there is nothing like lacing up my shoes, and letting the wind whip through my ponytail and wash away the sress as I run on.
1) Take a bubble bath: This is one of my favorite stress fighter. If I’m not in the mood to eat avocados or don’t have to time to get a massage or go to the gym I will always turn to my tub. The perfect bath can help sooth a tense back, and allow your stress to melt away in the warm water. But knowing all the ‘bath musts’ is important. Candles are a must, and you can light real scented candles (lavender and eucalyptus are relaxing scents to use) or battery opperated ones work just as fine. You’ll want to compensate for the scents if you don’t have scented candles by using bubble bath, (The Philosphy ‘Melon Sorbet’ is my favorite kind), bath beads or even epsom salt. Lastly, turn to the spa music chanel on Pandora and enjoy. The combination of the warm water, candlelight and scents (especially epsom salt which is absorbed into the skin and raises magnesium levels that reduce stress) will be sure to put you in the most relaxed state of mind and conquer stress.