It’s that time of year again: class work has started to pile up and looking at your calendar gives you anxiety since it’s filled with midterms. As your schedule gets busy, and you’re wondering if you will have any free time, it is important to find ways unwind (even if it’s for a few minutes) so that the stress doesn’t get the best of you. Here are some suggestions of what you can do on campus to simply breathe for a minute and de-stress when your life gets hectic.
1. Go to Mass
As a Jesuit institution, BC offers daily masses around campus. They are shorter than a traditional Sunday service, and a great place to reflect for a bit. Even if you are not Catholic or Christian, attending a mass offers a comfortable environment to reflect in. For BC’s daily mass schedule, click here.
2. Go for a Run Around the Res
When you get busy, working out is often the last thing on your mind. However, it is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself when you are stressed. Running the Res will give you a few minutes to clear your head and get your heart rate up. This will be a much better use of your time than simply staring at your planner for 20 minutes wondering what you are going to do next.
3. Walk the Labyrinth
The Labyrinth behind Burns Library is one of my favorite spots at BC. I walked it in my freshman year “Courage to Know” class and still find myself returning to it whenever I am stressed or need to think something through. The Labyrinth is part of BC’s September 11th memorial, and is possibly the most peaceful place on campus. Walking the Labyrinth will give you time to reflect on whatsoever is troubling you.
Bonus: It’s near the libraries, so it makes for quite the accessible study break.
4. Don’t Forget About Your Friends
When you are stressed and busy, it is easy to forget about your friends. Making time to talk to roommates and/or friends from extracurricular activities is important when you are feeling overwhelmed. At the very least, it is helpful to know that you are not the only one who has a lot of work and there is someone else who knows exactly how you are feeling. Talking to your friends can be one of the most effective stress relievers. Take 20 minutes to have dinner or coffee together and catch up on what is going on in your lives. Maintaining relationships can be tough when you start to feel there are not enough hours in the day, but by making time for your friends is essential; you will not only be able to de-stress and have a good laugh, but you also avoid the potential new stress of losing the friends you’re abandoning for your books.
Photo Sources:
http://leahhaydock.blogspot.com/2012/06/taj-boston-wedding-st-ignatius-church.html