1. Spa night. Whether you want a friends’ night, some me time, or you need to destress after a big exam, this is the perfect way to spend a Sunday evening. Grab some nail polish and masks.
2. Take a Rec Center class. Exercise has been proven to help beat depression…but so has making new friends! Go to a spin or yoga class at the Rec Center. The group mentality motivates you to push yourself and keep coming back every week.
3. Rearrange your furniture. A new look for a new year! Moving your furniture around can give your room a new energy and motivate you in new ways. Plus, if you move it yourself, you have an activity to take up the whole afternoon.
4. Invest in air purifier. Air purifiers can help create a stress-free environment. You can add essential oils to lift your mood, help you sleep, or help you to calm down.
5. Cut out the sugar. Sugar can make you tired, grumpy, and not to mention sugar also can lead to weight gain. By cutting out harmful sugars, you will notice you have more energy and feel healthier within days!
6. Schedule time for worrying. Scheduling time for anxieties helps you get through the day seamlessly because you know you have time to stress out later. Some days, you may find that you don’t even need to worry anymore after having been so productive all day.
7. Make time for simple luxuries. Chocolate, listening to standup on the way to class, singing in the shower, coffee and a good book, a magazine subscription. These are small treats that give you a much-needed release at the end of a long day.
8. Dedicate your time to something. Having a club, sorority, or job to put time into breaks up the monotony of classes and Netflix. Try a new extracurricular this semester. You will make new friends and have something to put on that killer resume.
9. Keep going to class. Losing the momentum you’ve built in the past few weeks is one of the worst things you could do to yourself. This lets in anxiety and fatigue like nothing else. Make small rewards for having attended a full week of classes, such as a new piece of clothing or a night out. Your GPA will thank you at the end of the semester.
10. Meet one of the campus therapy dogs. There are many therapy dogs around campus, but three of them are seen most often: Sasha at Honors Hall, Omega at Reed College of Media, and Gretel at the Carruth Center. These pups really can sense when you are stressed, and they will come cheer you right up.
11. Get plenty of sleep. There is no feeling like waking up refreshed. Try to get in at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Going to bed earlier and waking up earlier will also give you more energy than sleeping in after a late night.
12. Dress for you. Everyone deserves to feel their best. Why not afford yourself some extra confidence by dressing a little nicer today. Sweats are comfortable, but after a while they can feel as tiring as jeans once did. Dress to impress yourself when you look in the mirror.
13. Do yoga before and after bed. A simple, five-minute yoga routine before bed can do a lot for a girl. For one, falling asleep is much easier after taking time to wind down. Also, these stretches can relieve lower back pain that may result from an uncomfortable mattress.
14. Eat breakfast. Eating something for breakfast gives you an energy boost to get to class in the morning. You are less likely to fall asleep during your afternoon classes if you have eaten a large, nutritious breakfast.