Simple Ways To Deal With Mid-Semester Stress

Well…it’s that time of the school year again when the semester has really kicked off, and stress is at an all-time high. By this point, all of your classes are getting ready for midterms, and professors are probably packing in the work like crazy. On top of this, you also have a social life to keep up with, plus clubs/organizations and maybe even a job or two. With all of these different priorities going on at once, it’s inevitable that you’re going to experience at least a little bit of stress. It’s really important to not let it overwhelm you, though, and these next few steps should definitely help with that. 

Watch your favorite childhood/comfort movie or TV show. 

Watching something that brings you comfort and joy is a great way to relieve stress. During a study break, between classes, or during your work break, throwing on a quick episode from a TV show you love is a great way to take your mind off of the task at hand, and it doesn’t completely distract you from continuing to work after. This differs from scrolling through social media, which could easily take up way more time than you allotted for your break. Also, watching a comfort movie or a specific one from your childhood right before bed is a good way to calm your body down before sleeping instead of staying up studying all night, causing rough sleep. It can also bring some much-needed happiness into your daily life. 

Move your body.

This is very broad, but no matter how you go about it, any form of movement can really help reset your mind from stress. The first few ways you could move your body, in a shorter amount of time, are by doing simple stretches every 30 minutes or so. Another thing you can do is take a short walk around the room or area you’re in, or even do a quick dance workout or yoga routine on YouTube. Taking even a few seconds or minutes to shift focus on your body and not your mind can really help stop the feeling of being consumed by stress constantly. If you have more time, or before or after you start on a stressful task, doing a more structured, longer workout can be a good way to kind of “sweat the stress out.” Even just going on a long walk where you can catch up with non-stressful tasks like catching up with friends/family, reading a book, listening to new music, or getting something to eat. 

Change locations.

If you’re able to, especially during study sessions, change locations as much as possible or as needed. As soon as you start feeling burnt out, bored, overwhelmed, or distracted from your task at hand, go to a new space. The new change of scenery can make your studying session feel more broken up and not so stagnant. Even the time in between moving can give your mind a nice break. If it’s nice out, going outside could be even more beneficial for getting some nice fresh air and getting some nature in. 

Set simple goals and create checklists.

Lastly, the simplest but most productive one, setting goals and creating checklists. Writing down all the things you wanna accomplish in a day, week, month, etc. is a perfect way to have a visual example of all your tasks instead of just relying on your brain to remember everything at all times, leading to more stress. Creating checklists then gives you a reason to want to complete the tasks so you can check them off the list, making getting stuff done seem more like a game than work. 

All of these simple but beneficial and rewarding activities should at least take a little bit of stress off your mind and body during one of the busiest times of the school year. It is important to also always make sure to remember not to put too much on your plate at a time and give yourself grace. Though this time of the school year can be daunting, don’t let it consume you. Don’t forget to enjoy your life as a college student and take care of yourself!

• activites
• college
• health
• mental health
• midterms
• stress