As the semester goes on, college students are experiencing more and more stress. Exams, homework, and even homesickness can seem overwhelming, but here are five things to do to give yourself a bit of a break.
- Try Lush’s Cup O’ Coffee Face Mask/Scrub
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When I’m feeling overwhelmed or just need to have a mini crying session, I always follow it up with a face mask. The Cup O’ Coffee face mask is a go-to if you want to feel refreshed and smell like coffee for the day. Just sitting on your bed and letting your mask dry is enough to make your worries fade into the rich aroma of coffee. As you wash it off, the mask also acts as a scrub and leaves your skin bright and your pores clear. If stress is going to make you break out, why not combat it with a rejuvenating Lush mask?
- Watch an Episode of your Favorite Seasonal Show or your Film
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Seasonal movies are perfect for stress relief because there are so many great Halloween-themed movies and TV shows to watch this semester. Although you may feel like you don’t have enough time for anything besides work or sleep, it is just as important to allocate a little bit of your day for self-care. Yes, watching a movie or show counts as self-care. If you’re like me, I’m a child at heart, and if I’m feeling down, whether it be from illness or stress, I revert to my childhood favorites. The original Scooby-Doo episodes and movies like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” can pull me out of my head for a few minutes or an hour or two. I realize not everyone is a fan of these films, so feel free to substitute them with your favorite. An episode of “Cold Case Files,” “The Office,” “New Girl,” “Gossip Girl,” etc.
- Bake with your Friends
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If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself “I can’t bake” or “I don’t know how to bake”…think again! Cupcakes, brownies, and cookies are simple and quick to bake. If you live in an apartment or house and want to bake your treats from scratch, go right ahead! But, if you’re living in the dorms, you don’t always have access to all the necessary ingredients. An alternative? Pre-made cookie dough or treats that require simple ingredients. Cooking with your friends it a great study break since it gives you time to socialize and you’ll have something yummy to look forward to before you go back to studying.
- Make a To-Do List
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After you’ve taken some time away from the books, pull out your planner or pull up a document online and make a list. While it can be difficult to write everything down when you have classes back to back during the day, try to find time after or in between your classes so that you can make a To-Do list. You may think you’ll remember everything, but a list can help you prioritize and lets you visually see everything you need to do. This last bit is so important; even if you remember all your assignments, being able to cross them off as you do them can alleviate your stress during what seems like a neverending study period.
- Get some Sleep!
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This is an easy one that has been drilled into us by parents, professors, and doctors. Prioritizing work over sleep is not always the best answer. Drinking cup after cup of coffee to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning may give you the time you need to finish an assignment, but it will not be your best quality of work. Instead of napping during the day so you can stay up late, go to bed early so you can wake up and finish your work with fresh eyes. Believe me, this is a much better method than slurping down a half-full Monster at 2am. In addition to helping you submit better quality work, sleep also helps you cope. If you feel really overwhelmed and cannot get control of your emotions when you’re studying after 2am, it might be time to call it a night so your body can recharge.
College isn’t easy, so make sure you take some time for self-care. We all get stressed once in a while, but there are lots of things you can do to give yourself some relief. So keep your head up and remember that you’ve got this!