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

Kailey

  1. Take a shower or do laundry –  Doing any mindless but necessary task gives you a break from your work but doesn’t make you feel bad, because you’re technically still being productive.

  2. Have a scheduled mental health day – Try to pick one day a week where you can just relax and decompress.  For example, the beginning of my weeks are always crazy overwhelming, so I know that once I get out of class Thursday I’m not doing any work at all.  It helps keep me on schedule for the rest of the week and gives me something to look forward to.

  3. Switch assignments – If a particular assignment is stressing you out, just get away from it and try to make a little bit of progress on something else.  If you don’t procrastinate starting something, you can always put it down and come back to it another day with a clearer mind.

 

Theresa

  1. Talking to myself – I know it sounds kind of weird but hear me out. When I say things that are overwhelming me out loud, I don’t feel like they’re consuming me from the inside anymore. It’s now out in the open and I’m free from the stress that’s pulling my mind down.

  2. Making a schedule – This is the best way for me to space everything out and see when things are from a bigger picture. Everything doesn’t look so cluttered and I can plan out my time to work on things. The visual aid helps me map out everything I need to do and I can make a game plan after that.

  3. Binge watching shows – Do you have those moments where you are too stressed out that you can barely move? Yeah, it be like that sometimes. So when I’m basically immobile, I take out my laptop and just watch whatever is on my queue. I can’t be at my best working mode if I’m not at 100%. Watching TV allows me to recharge and rethink.

Destiny

  1. Meditation – This is a newfound tool I’ve been using recently, and I must say it is highly effective. At least for me but who knows might be for you as well. I like to find a nice quiet place, preferably somewhere in my dorm building that doesn’t get a lot of traffic. This way you’re less likely to get distracted or interrupted.

  2. Creating a playlist – When I’m having just one of those days, I always turn to my music to ease me. So, I build a playlist equated with the mood I am feeling that day, which often results in me finding that one song that really speaks to me that day. This helps because it has a way of either calming my worrisome anxieties or even being an outlet. You may cry, jump around, laugh, gym and more.

  3. Cook – Time permitting, if I’m aiming for a self-care kind of day I will take up a new recipe or my favorite dish to cook and enjoy to calm my nerves. As someone who has a bad habit of skipping meals when I’m stressed, cooking when I have the time is the best way to treat myself and unwind. I really love seafood, so I typically opt for sauteed shrimp with rice and a choice of veggie. This gets me to give myself some much-needed attention and I can chill on a full stomach.

Tori

  1. Read a book- Oftentimes we neglect reading during the school year due to the abundance of assignments, the desire for social contact, or pure exhaustion, so it’s nice to sit down every once and a while and read something that you get to choose. It allows you to engulf yourself in another world, read about problems that aren’t your own, and get that happy ending that you haven’t yet reached in your own life. Reading is a great distraction.

  2. Call a friend- This can be a great reminder that there is someone out there who cares about you and is excited to hear from you. Whether it be that you spend the time ranting or they tell you about their day to get you thinking about something else, you’ll feel better after talking to them. You don’t have to stress yourself. We have all been there and we understand.

  3. Exercise- This can mean that you get up and take a short walk or you go to the gym and get in an hour long intense workout. Either way, getting up and moving will help get you in a better mood and allow you to take your frustrations out on something. Plus, you can listen to music while doing this.

Lauren

  1. Watch Netflix/YouTube – If I’m feeling particularly stressed with school or with personal issues I put on a happy show on Netflix or watch a funny video on YouTube. Letting my mind destress and take a break for 20 minutes makes all the difference. The act of laughing for me instantly improves my mood and makes me feel a lot better.

  2. Yoga – Yoga is the best for stress. A very important aspect of yoga is breathing. Look up a quick video on youtube that specializes in meditation or breathing. The act of deep breathing physically calms your body down. Your heart rate slows down and you stay present in the moment. You get to forget about the world and all of the things that are causing your stress.

  3. Call my mom – It doesn’t have to be your mom but just someone that you love. When I hear my mom’s voice, it instantly calms me down. The act of just talking to someone about what’s causing you stress is an awesome tool. Usually when I voice what I’m stressed about it sounds like something I can easily conquer. If you feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to you the CONTACT hotline is always open to talk 1(800)-932-4616

Sarah

  1. Write a Letter- I think everybody can agree that writing letters are a lost art. In the past few years, I’ve taken it upon myself to start writing a letter more to those who are far away. While being in college whenever I find myself a bit overwhelmed I take it as a sign to sit down with a good old fashioned pencil and write letters to friends far away or family. It’s a fun activity that makes me feel very close to those who may be far away.

  2. Channel Energy Creatively – I find one of the best ways to deal with stress is to channel that energy into something positive and creative. Whenever I feel truly overwhelmed I’ll put aside all stressors and start to create. Whether it be writing, painting, drawing, taking photos, or simply taking a walk to find inspiration.

  3. Play a New Game – As the semesters stress piles on I’ve been finding that playing games, particularly video games from the past, brings me some peace of mind. I downloaded Pokemon Go again and have started playing a lot more Mario Kart. These games, while they seem childish, bring my stress level down and focus my mind on something playful.  

Jordyn

  1. Do a painting. – It isn’t a new development that art can help you de-stress. Taking out a cheap canvas, or even a piece of cardboard, and smearing colors across it can be a good way to relax. You don’t have to be good at art to do this either! Just pick up your favorite colors and do whatever you feel like. Everyone can be an artist if they want to be!

  2. Clean – As someone who needs a clean workspace, I find that a lot of my stress comes from my room not being tidy. I like to step away from the stressor and clean my side of the room. This often times consists of me organizing drawers and rearranging the things on my desk, as well. It might seem like a mundane thing, but it really does help to have a clean living space.

  3. Invest your energy in something else – Another common thing I do when I’m stressed is research. I know, nerd. Taking time to look up information about things that interest you can help you mind focus on things you actually want to know, not things you have to for class. Personally, I like to research different animals and how they function. Learning new things about different animals is always a highlight for me.

Evelyn

  1. Meditate! – Although you can do unguided meditation, I highly recommend going on YouTube or the app store and find a guided meditation app or video. All you need is a five to ten-minute meditation. Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better. Meditating will make a drastic difference in your day as you will come out with a clearer, more rational head on your shoulders, especially since you can focus on more positive, productive thoughts than negative, irrational ones that just stress you out.

  2. Color – I feel like years ago people laughed at others who bought and used adult coloring books. Nowadays? Not so much. There is no shame with buying an adult coloring book or printing out a coloring page and taking the time to yourself to color, which is a very simple, yet relaxing activity. I recommend coloring a more simplistic design, so you don’t get overly stressed with coloring many very small and intricate spaces.

  3. Journal – Reflection is a very important activity to do and should honestly be done a daily basis. Something great and simple that I love doing is journaling! Although it may be overkill for some, I love doing it twice a day (however, there are times I can only do it once a day)––once in the morning and once at a night. People have the misperception that reflecting is something you need to do at the end of the day when all’s been said and done; however, it is something easily do when you wake up. Often, thoughts from the day before or provoked by your dreams pop up in your head when you wake up, so it’s important to shake off those potentially negative thoughts and look forward to your day with a positive light. Journaling is a great way to both start and end your day!

Melissa

  1. Make a list — I find that I can get easily overwhelmed when I have a lot of assignments to do, so something that tends to help is prioritizing everything I need to get done. Whether it be on your phone or writing out a physical list, it helps a lot to see everything laid out. Plus when you’re done, you can check things off, and there’s nothing more satisfying than that.

  2. Talk to someone — sometimes I just need to vent about all of my anxieties and stressors, so I find that talking to somebody close to me can help. I try not to vent to those that are dealing with a lot as well (I don’t want to overwhelm them either), but confiding in a friend, parent, significant other, or even your therapist are all super helpful. It’s always a really nice reminder to know that I have people supporting me and are willing to help me out in a time of need.

  3. Drive — this may be a weird one, but one of my favorite things to do when I’m stressed out is to go on a drive. I like to blast my favorite music and sing along just so I’m not so hyper-focused on all the things stressing me out. Honestly, nothing hits like screaming along to Ariana Grande. How can you be anxious when listening to Sweetener?

Kailey is a Senior who double-majors in English and Adolescent Education. She has been a writer from the time she could hold a pencil and an aspiring teacher since 1st grade. She currently substitute teaches at a preschool and hopes to teach ELA and Creative Writing to high schoolers in the future. Kailey is an fervent reader, runner, and yogi who is happiest when laughing with loved ones or eating something full of sugar!
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Theresa is the social media manager and section writer for Her Campus Oswego as well as a Chapter Advisor for HCHQ. Theresa is a senior double Public Relations and Global & International Studies major with a Political Science minor. She has a deep love for the environment and a big aspiration to travel the world and learn from as many cultures as I can. In her free time, Theresa looks up popular memes and updates herself on everything involving Donald Glover.
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Hi I'm Destiny i'm currently a junior at SUNY Oswego with a major in journalism and a minor in international and global studies. I hope to venture to Japan and Korea in the near future with friends and I have intentions to reside in Japan someday as well. I have a fondness for Asian cultures, whether it be Indian, Filipino, Korean and or Japanese.
Victoria graduated from SUNY Oswego with a double major in Economics and Creative Writing and a minor in Statistics. When not writing, she loves reading, hiking, and watching the weirdest movies she can find. Victoria also adores dogs and banana bread with chocolate chips.
Jordyn is a Biology major with a minor in creative writing at SUNY Oswego. She hopes to open a rehabilitation center for wildlife in the future. She's very passionate about animals and spreading awareness for animal rights. She also enjoys drawing and painting.
Although Evelyn is supposed to be a junior, she is a graduating senior at SUNY Oswego double majoring in Psychology and Public Justice. She has discovered a new love for mindfulness, so when she has the time off during her busy schedule, you can find her meditating her stresses away (or at least that's the hope).
Melissa Lee

Oswego '19

CC Melissa is a senior journalism major with a double minor in creative writing and political science at SUNY Oswego. She loves music, makeup, dogs, and napping. 95% of the time she can be found drinking way too much coffee or finding new music on Spotify.