Dealing with stress in college can be tough. A lot of us are overworked and overextended, which can make taking time to relax much harder. It’s important to adopt habits to destress in the fast-moving college atmosphere. Here are some little things you can incorporate into your routine to keep calm.
Take a walk
Getting out of your dorm and taking the time to be by yourself can be seriously refreshing. There’s something mindless and centering about simply strolling through campus for the heck of it. Getting outside can instantly destress you, nature is incredibly calming, and you probably don’t get enough time in the outdoors.
Take a self-care day
Giving yourself time to indulge in your less-than-productive routines can help to remove yourself from the stressors that are weighing you down. A lot of the time, it feels like if what we’re doing isn’t productive than it isn’t worth our time. But that isn’t true. Doing a face mask, watching a movie, or painting your nails can be exactly the thing that refreshes you enough to motivate more productivity in the future. Your mental health is important too, you can’t always be moving, so don’t underestimate the power of a good self-care day.
Take it back to your roots
Remember when you used to have hobbies? That was neat. Maybe you used to paint, write, read, or play an instrument. Sometimes we can get too busy for the things we used to love doing. Try to reconnect with your old hobbies, it’s important to have things that you do just for you.
Take time to indulge
Have you been craving pizza all day? Have you not had time to catch up on that Netflix show? Let yourself decompress and enjoy the things you’ve been depriving yourself of.
Take a nap
Seriously. You need to sleep. People in college do not prioritize sleep the way they should and taking a nap can make everything seem less overwhelming.
Sometimes the competitive nature of college can almost romanticize stress, it can seem like if you’re not constantly stressed out than you’re not doing enough. It’s important to remind yourself that’s not true, you’re not made to be constantly stressed out, and you should be able to enjoy your time in college. School can be a lot, it can be overwhelming. Find the things that make it more manageable and prioritize your happiness.