Stress is something that most college students face, but how do you deal with it?
As the end of the semester is quickly approaching, you are probably feeling tense and worried, or as most people call it, stressed. Stress is a constricting monster that can envelop your life, whether it has to do with school, personal matters or work, and it can leave you feeling hopeless and frustrated. So how do you actually deal with stress?
Well, it’s really not that simple to just find a solution for. I’ve been going to therapy for four years now, and if I have learned anything about dealing with stress, it’s that everyone deals with it differently. But, there are a few universal things that can help many people deal with stress, and we call these coping mechanisms. So, let’s talk coping mechanisms. There are a few basic coping mechanisms that I want to touch on to hopefully help you be a bit less stressed in the upcoming weeks.
1. Breathing
Okay, I know this is a given thing that you have to do, but controlled or deep breathing can really help you deal with stress. The best way to do it is to focus all of your thoughts on breathing. Breathe in for 5 seconds, and then breathe out. Make sure you can hear yourself breathing, I find that it helps to ground me back in reality when I begin to fall.
2. Do something you love
I know it can be hard to just take a break when you have so many things to do, but taking a moment to do something that you really enjoy can do wonders. Take a break from studying and watch an episode of your favorite TV show. It will help you be able to gather your thoughts and refocus so that you can be more productive.
3. Drink some tea
I know that most of us are gulping down coffee like it’s the last liquid left on earth, but drinking hot tea can have some of the same effects with added benefit. Many teas are caffeinated and will give you that little boost you need but without the coffee jitters. I also find that drinking hot tea and feeling it warm you from the inside out is incredibly soothing and can help you not feel so tense.
4. Eat
Again, this may be a given thing, but so many of us forget or don’t want to eat when we are stressed. But eating can also do wonders for your mind. Your mind needs energy to function and it gets that from food. So, if your mind is feeling cloudy, take a moment to ask yourself, “Have I eaten today?” and if the answer is no, take a break and have a little snack. You’ll be happy you did later.
Dealing with stress may seem very overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Take some time for you, your school work will still be there when you get back. So, go make some tea, wrap yourself in a blanket, and watch your favorite show. It works wonders.