Everyone says college is the best four years of your life, but for some, it can seem like the most stressful when you’re balancing classes, organizations, leadership roles, a job and finances all on top of the other. With finals around the corner, stress levels can elevate further, but that’s when it’s most important to recognize your stress levels rising and try to find balance.
De-stressing and being aware of it can be the best way to mediate it. Instead of looking to pills or quick fixes to ease or cope with stress, there are plenty of natural methods you can apply to figure out what works for you when it comes to dealing with everyday college stress. Many of these methods are used in combination with each other and there’s not really a wrong or right way to do it. It’s all about trying new de-stressing methods and finding what works best for you.
Sometimes stress can keep you deprived of sleep and awake longer than you want to be. Something that works well for me is using meditation sleep apps on my phone as I’m lying in bed. It’s a great way to ease into sleep and relax, keeping your millions of racing thoughts at bay as you try to doze off. Using a meditation app is overall a great way to set aside time for yourself and practice mindfulness along with calmness. I like to start and end my day with meditation whether that be five minutes or forty minutes, and half the time it’s like hearing a story to ease your mind.
For those of you that get knots in your back or neck area when taking tests or cram-writing papers on a deadline, massage, cupping and guasha therapy (or all of them in conjunction with one another) are an amazing choice. Aches and pains due to stress can be mitigated through massage or other natural healing techniques, such as the ones I just mentioned. Many places offer student discounts making it affordable for you to treat yourself and your health every once in a while.
Another way I de-stress, in conjunction with meditation and yoga, is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy has a myriad of physiological and psychological benefits that can greatly reduce symptoms of stress. For example, peppermint oil mixed with a carrier oil when rubbed on the back of your neck can have a cooling sensation, that relieves tension and helps ease your mind, giving you a sense of calmness. You can also use essential oil diffusers and have water vapor mixed with essential oils, such as lavender oil, that disperses throughout your room. When smelling or breathing it in, it’ll give your mind a soothing sensation and tranquil feeling. There are many calming, energizing and mood-boosting essential oils out there that can all help you achieve a collected and serene state of mind.
Note that all these things won’t simply eliminate stress, or erase it from your daily life. They simply help soothe and relieve the symptoms of stress your experiencing. It’s important to note that you actively have to find ways to eliminate stress in your life mechanically whether that be managing your time by prioritizing and working on projects well before deadlines, or backing off from something if you have too much on your plate. Dealing with stress and finding ways to wind down takes practice, but stay resilient and try out a couple of these natural ways to de-stress, to figure out what works for you!