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8 Ways To De-stress During The Semester

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hampton U chapter.

Despite what others might say, college can be hard and all the work and activities throughout the week can really become a stressor. It’s important to always keep a positive and healthy mind. Too much stress can affect your physical and mental health. It’s important to take a break from all the work and take some time for yourself. Here are 8 different ways you can let loose and release some of your stress.

1. Have a Netflix night

Start a new Netflix series or find reruns of your favorite show. This will put you in a better mood and take your mind off of all that work. Some students are so busy they don’t even have time to watch television on a regular basis, so take this opportunity to do so. Call your homies up make it a fun night with friends

 

2. Treat yourself to something nice

A little shopping never hurt anybody. If you want to stay in and online shop  Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing’s are always having great sales. Or when the weekend hits, take some time to visit your local mall. Going to the mall by yourself is not as bad as you may think. While being by yourself you can take your time and buy what you really want.

 

3. Take a nice walk

Sitting in the same position staring in a book or computer can really put a strain on your body. If you happen to be in the library, take a break and walk around, use the stairs if you really want to get more exercise. If you are at home, take a stroll through your neighborhood. This can be really calming especially if it’s the evening time. Taking a 10-15 minute walk can give the mind a break and get the body muscles moving.​

4. Get organized  

If the space around you is cluttered it’s only going to make your study session more stressful. Take a few minutes to organize the area around you, or if your room is messy as a whole give yourself a cleaning break. This can actually be fun when you turn on some music and make it a clean-up party. A clean space provides a more peaceful atmosphere.

 

5. Enjoy the weekend

Going out during the weekend is a perfect way to release some stress built up from the week. The opportunities are endless when it comes to finding something fun to do. Saturday night find a party, or if you like big crowds go to a kickback. Check the local paper to see what movies are playing. You can also see what events your campus is putting on. As long as you’re in good company with friends they will be sure to take your mind off of any stress you are dealing with.

6. Meditate

Meditation is a great way to not only control your stress but decrease anxiety and improve cardiovascular health. This simple exercise can be done every day for 10 minutes. When meditating make sure you are focused and relaxed while in a quiet environment. If you have more time on your hands, grab a friend a go to a yoga class to get the full experience.

 

7. Eat

Some people eat when they are happy, bored and even sad, let’s go ahead and add stress to that list. Make sure you are getting balance diet with at least 2-3 meals a day. If you’re up all night studying. chances are you probably planned on eating sleep for dinner. Make sure you eat dinner, even if it ends up being ramen noodles. A little food on your stomach will help you remain focused during the night.

 

8. Sleep

Sleep just might be the number one way to relieve some of the stress you’ve been having. Getting 8-10 hours of sleep just isn’t going to happen for most college students, but that’s why there is a thing called naps. Get as much sleep as you can, whether it’s a 2-hour nap or a 30-minute nap, that is still giving your body some time to rest. You can even do this during in the middle of doing your work, take some time in between assignments to get the rest you need.

Kelsey Crimiel is a Junior strategic communications major, marketing minor from northern Virginia. She is very active on campus, and serves as a YouTube correspondent for Her Campus HamptonU. Kelsey is also a College Girls Inc. ambassador, a member of the junior class executive council, and a member of Q.U.E.E.N. mentoring program. She hopes to one day work in the music industry as a Publicist and Event Coordinator.
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Ania Cotton

Hampton U '18

Ania is a charismatic, outgoing, fun loving individual with aspirations of owning her own public relations firm. Her favorite shows are Spongebob, Regular Show, and Bob's Burgers, and she loves to eat. Ania graduated from Hampton University in May 2018 with her Bachelors of Arts in Strategic Communications with a minor in Spanish. Ania loves to talk and give advice to her friends and family; the motto that she lives by is to always be a blessing to others because you never know who may need it. To learn more about her, visit her website at www.anianicole.com.