Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

Women’s Health: Getting Rid of Stress and Anxiety

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

Hey y’all, I hope everyone’s March is going well! Hopefully, this weather sticks.

If not, it could be because your stress and anxiety levels are high right now. Take a deep breath, because it’s going to be okay. Anything that’s bothering you right now, whether it be school, a guy, a girl, summer jobs, anything… just take a step back because no class, no guy, no girl, no summer job is worth putting such a heavy load on yourself and feeling such an intense burden. It’s not worth it. It’s not healthy.

I know, I know… everyone gets stressed from classes and such. But the stress prevents us from moving forward in a calm way. Instead, we stress, stress, stress, while treading to get whatever work we have done, as opposed to understanding that we’re all human and no one and nothing is perfect. It’ll get done eventually, so we can all just relax a little bit.

A very smart & wise professor once told me, “It’s just one test, in one class, in one semester, in one year, in one College experience, in one time of your life. It doesn’t matter” If a Professor can believe that, so can you!

Here are some SHORT & SIMPLE ways that will hopefully (everyone’s different) relieve your stress and anxiety levels, so that you can feel happy and healthy instead of feeling heavy and loaded ☺

1. Exercise!

Exercise not only releases endorphins but it releases tension, which can come from stress.

2. Do things that you love to do!

Doing things that you love is always a good idea, but if you’re particularly stressed, having a “you” day can really help to heal yourself of unwanted, tense feelings. It could be anything from playing an instrument, listening to music, or sleeping, to taking a bath, getting a mani/pedi, going for a walk, or going to a movie by yourself (which by the way is so nice).

3. Have sex!

Sex is ugh-mazing in general, but when you’re stressed, as it’s a form of exercise, will alleviate tension!

4. Go out with your friends! #fun

Go out with your friends and have fun! Anything from going to a club, to a movie, ice-skating, bowling, anything where you can laugh, have good food, and/ or dance is always a good time and may ease the stress away.

5. Meditate!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: meditation is the most helpful thing to do, in my opinion, when it comes to being at peace with ourselves. It is truly a wholesome practice and will love back if it is loved. I have heard from many, that if people were to meditate every day, our whole sense of self would change, and our mind/body connection will be at peace.

6. Learn something new!

I have heard that learning something new, like a language or an instrument, is really key in not feeling anxious or stressed because our minds focus so intently on what we’re learning that we end up placing our focus on the positive. #thankscharli

7. Try Yoga!

Yoga, like meditation, will make you feel Zen. It’ll calm your nerves or stresses or whatever ailments you might be feeling and just ease your body into a very neutral and easy state of being. You’ll seriously feel amazing!

8. Cook!

COOK! Cooking is so relaxing and rewarding! It’s fun, creative, interactive, and delicious. Anything active is good to get rid of stress and anxiety. Cooking just happens to be both active and yummy!

9. Go outside!

Nature is so imperative when it comes to having a sense of groundedness and calm. Hiking, kayaking, even just walking down your street will make you feel better. Breathe in that fresh air!

10. Talk to someone!

If nothing else works and the stress is too much, I would always suggest talking to someone whether it be a close, trusting, and understanding friend/family member, or a therapist. Either option is good depending on the individual. Don’t forget, talking out why you might be stressed or anxious is so much better than keeping it in.

Getting rid of stress and anxiety can be difficult. If it’s such a strong feeling, it may be hard to rid yourself of it. But, I’ve found, and truly believe that if we don’t want to be stressed or anxious (who does), that these little things can go such a long way even if the results aren’t immediate. It may take time, but you’ll feel so much better once you try.

And with that, I give you peace, love, and happiness in your journey to a stress and anxiety free you!

Thanks for reading, and be healthy with me next week—I’ll be talking about things to do to get rid of dry skin/nails! 

HELLO! My name is Sabrina and I'm a Muhlenberg senior theatre major with a concentration in acting, so I love to play! Health is something that I'm super interested in, and I want to get other people interested in it as well. In case you want to know more about my health process, I have a personal blog where you learn more about me and how I deal with it while at school and back home...basically all of the time we are all #healthing. Check me our here: https://sweetbowlofkale.wordpress.com and on HerCampus so we can all be happy and healthy together :)