Everyone at some point in their life has struggled with stress. Personally, I know my stress got worse once I started college. As a freshman, my daily schedule underwent a ton of change. I was living on campus three hours away from my family and friends, my classes were harder, and nothing was familiar to me. I have learned to cope with my stress a little better, but I know it might never go away completely. I am now almost done with my sophomore year and now I must think about graduate colleges and my future. There will always be stress in our lives, but we can combat our stress. I know that everyone copes with their stress differently, but here are a few things that have helped me:
- Someone once suggested to me to try using lavender products. Lavender is known as being relaxing and calming. Many different products use lavender from essential oils to bath products. One of my favorite products is the Aveeno stress relief moisturizing lotion in lavender. I have been using this product for the past year and it is simply amazing. I love the smell of the lavender and it has made me feel calmer than before. Aveeno also has other lavender products to try such as their calming body wash in lavender (which is also great). I know this might not be for everyone, but there should be a scent that can work for you, it may be just what you need
- Yoga and Meditation is a great stress reliever. I have tried a couple yoga classes and it has helped. To be honest, when I am stressed, I find it harder to want to go to a yoga class on top of my schoolwork. Although, you do not have to go to a yoga class to be able to do yoga and meditate. This is something you can do at home or even outside in nature! You can buy a yoga mat from a store for less than ten dollars or just use any towel you own. These days there is so many online options and YouTube videos to work off. Even if you just do yoga for five minutes you should notice some calming effects. One of my favorite poses is the child’s pose.
- Music, art, and reading are also good options. It really depends on what makes you happy. Try listening to some calming jazz or some rock and roll (pretty much anything you love, try to avoid sad music). Reading is something that allows you to get drawn into the story being told. So many people do not read as much anymore because of the world of technology. I think we need to appreciate books more than we have before because they can teach us so much. Art, for me is my favorite one. There is so many different types of art that it can become almost anything. I love drawing for example, it gets my mind off the subjects that are stressing me out.
- My greatest stress reliever is my family. For some people this may be your friends or a significant other. For me it is my family, usually I will pick up my phone and call my mom (the beauty of technology) just to talk about our day. Being away from home I have begun to appreciate my family so much more and I also miss them a million times more too. Simply talking to them or facetiming them makes me feel better. Finding someone you can talk to and laugh with can help lessen your stress.
I know my tips may not help everyone, but maybe these can be a guide to help you learn to combat the stress you are facing. The stress we face may always be a part of us, but we do not have to let it define us.
HCXO,
Lindsay