Tips to Relieve Stress

By: Julissa Sierra

Sometimes the college world can get a little hectic. From balancing a social life with having assignments due and studying for exams, to having a job or even a sport or club that you are committed to. 

Trust me, it can get a little overwhelming. I know sometimes you want to give up and just bedrot. But I’m here to not let you get to that point. Here are 4 tips to balance your stress with all the craziness happening in your life. 

1. Prioritize sleep

Without sleep in the college world, you are going to be a zombie walking through campus. And yes, I am talking about getting a full 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Not only does sleep help you destress, but it also helps your physical health as well. Sleeping can give your body a rest and give your mind all the detoxing it needs.

2. Eliminate the triggers of stress 

It’s hard to say eliminate the triggers that are causing you stress, but what I mean is to eliminate unnecessary stress. I know we are all in college, and we all go through things. However, the best way to not get this unnecessary stress is to cancel them out from your mind. This can be all sorts of things, including relationship problems, friendship problems, or constantly thinking about bad situations. The best way to think about these triggers is to simply think that it is a waste of your time. We are growing each day, and life is too short to have this dark cloud above you all the time. By detaching yourself from these scenarios will give you better thoughts and help with your mental health.

3. Prioritize having a rest day 

In college, we can definitely get filled up with so many things. We can feel like we will never get a break. Sometimes we are constantly doing something and never getting a rest. However, I highly recommend prioritizing a rest day. If you have a calendar or write reminders. I recommend adding it and pretending that it is something that you are going to do that day. If someone asks you to do something, say no, you are busy! 

Now, what I mean by rest day is to do absolutely nothing. One day each week, do absolutely nothing. I want you to bed rest for an entire day. This can not only give your body a rest but also give your brain a rest. Constantly thinking about it can add stress, and soon you will be so overwhelmed. And we don’t want that. 

4. Take a Walk 

As college students, taking a walk is the best way to let out some stress. You can do this in so many ways: grab a friend or put on some headphones and listen to music, or grab a whole group of friends. Taking a walk not only gives you some exercise but also relieves stress that might have been bugging you. Embracing nature can take your mind off what has been crowding your mind. Only if it is whole 15 to 30 minutes, you are more likely to be in such a calmer mindset. 

What I want you to grab from these tips is to think about how busy life can get. It is impossible to say that college will never be stressful, but there are ways to help lessen the stress.