The workload is increasing. Let’s face it… you’ve got several empty coffee mugs on your desk that you should have cleaned out last Wednesday, you procrastinate by taking an extra long shower or eating food, and you’re swimming in algorithms, essays, and projects. And while you may think that you’re some super being that can live on two hours of sleep for the week while you cram your work in, it’s not true. You’re stressing yourself out! Give your body and mind a break with these five easy steps.
1. Exercise
Exercise is sooooo important to relieving stress. It’s always healthy to exercise, but when you’re stressed out, the endorphins that being physically active releases will help you to feel better and happier. For those who prefer a relaxing way to release endorphins, pilates and yoga classes work wonders, but my personal favorite is Zumba— I love to dance it out! Check out the group fitness schedule at the Rec to see when classes are available.
2. Sleep
Zzzzzz… Now, we’ve all heard that you should get 6-8 hours of sleep a night. The experts aren’t wrong! Whatever you don’t finish by 2 am won’t be quality work anyway, so stop stressing, put your head to a pillow, and cuddle up into a good night’s rest.
3. Eat at normal hours!
It’s necessary to always have a proper eating schedule to ensure that you don’t skip out on the vital nutrition your body needs. Lack of nutrition = more stress. Eat up, my friend. Bon appetite! I plan on seeing you at the caf.
4. Breathe… Or sing!
Breathing naturally calms people. Take a deep breath while you’re doing your homework and close your eyes. In the Wellness Center, they actually teach students breathing exercises so that all students can reduce their stress. And if that doesn’t work, try singing. When you sing, you have to regulate your breathing in order to match tempos and hit the right notes, only you don’t realize that you’re doing this. So sing out loud and have fun with it!!!
5. Do something you love <3
Remember to make time every day to do something you love. Spend an hour painting, or playing video games, or running around the track. Don’t forget to make yourself happy :)