As we begin to wrap up the semester, we can find ourselves pulling all-nighters and drinking cups of coffee to stay awake and complete our tasks.
When we deprive ourselves of sleep daily, we become less productive and less excited to do work. So, if you are tired, take a break. You deserve it! When you take time off for yourself, here are 5 fun activities that you can do to release stress.
1. HIIT HOP
For as long as I can remember, I have never been the type of person to go for a run or to the gym. In fact, I dread working out and find myself saying, “I’m too busy, I’ll do it tomorrow,” just so I don’t have to do it.
However, now, I look forward to my workouts and find myself smiling no matter how tired I am. For 25 minutes, I carve time out of my busy schedule to do a HIIT Hop – a combination of Hip Hop and HIIT exercises. I find that this is a great alternative to the traditional HIIT workouts, and makes exercising enjoyable and bearable. After the workout, I feel better about myself.
A YouTuber I recommend is emkfit, where she dances to different songs ranging from Disney classics to popular pop songs, like Taylor Swift. Before each workout, she breaks down the steps. If you find the steps too hard, don’t worry, she also gives alternative dance steps. If you want you can even make up your own dance moves!
2. Watch a Movie or TV Show
If you feel that the stress is suffocating you and find that all you want to do is breathe, watch a movie or a TV show.
At some point during the semester, I was watching The Big Bang Theory during my breaks. When I watched this, I was quickly immersed in their world, living vicariously through each character. For a moment, I could forget about the thoughts swirling around in my head, and refocus my attention on something other than work.
After finishing even one episode, I felt relaxed and lighter, like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders. More importantly, this helped me think more clearly when I did my work.
3. Meditate
Close your eyes and take a minute to relax. For ten minutes or less, you will focus on breathing techniques and your thoughts. You may ask yourself questions like: Why do I feel this way? How I can manage my nerves better? How can I control my feelings?
After you are done, you can open your eyes and feel refreshed. You may even learn something new about yourself.
Lastly, according to Mayo Clinic, some benefits of meditation include reducing negative thoughts and feelings, managing stress, and increasing self-awareness.
4. Face Time or Zoom with Family and Friends
For some of us, there is nothing like calling our friends and family and ranting to them about our problems in school.
During this time, we can release that pang of anxiousness that is building up inside of us as well as bond over the difficulties we are facing. More importantly, we remind ourselves that we can always lean on someone in times of distress.
If we are lucky, sometimes our friends and family can give us advice on how to cope with the situation, especially if they went through a similar experience.
5. Play Online Games
Earlier in the pandemic, I would sit on my desk, looking at an empty document glaring back at me, which only made me feel tense.
If I was lucky, I would get an impromptu call from my friends, and we would play Crazy 8’s together, and laugh non-stop. Whenever this happened, I felt happier and the overwhelming feeling of nerves that I had, were gone. When I went back to my desk to do work, I found that sometimes the work wasn’t too bad and that it was just all in my head. I just needed time to cool off.
For those interested, some online games that I enjoy playing with my friends include, Skribbl, House Party, Among Us, Sporcle Party, and GamePigeon.
Go, de-stress!