As the school year picks up, I reminisce on my colorful and diverse summer. The stress of classes and being so busy is growing, so I wanted to share one of my ways to relieve stress (without lifting a finger) through some summer photos. A foolproof way to calm down when faced with anxiety is to look at nature. This works best if you can actually go into nature, but photos can work too if you really look at them. We, students of Santa Clara, are lucky: our campus is beautiful and overflowing with calming nature sceneries. As a junior, I have had enough time at SCU to find a few techniques to use nature as a stress-reliever when the quarter speeds up.
The color blue has been shown to soothe and calm the human brain. I know this for sure because when I look out at the ocean, or gaze deeply at the sky, I feel happy, relaxed, and free. I have chosen three photos in which there is a majority of blue to prove this to you. Take 10 deep breaths while looking at any of the pictures, and notice you heart rate going down, your brain clearing up, your mind coming into focus. Stress is constructed by your brain, so it’s important to know how to tell your brain to calm down.
I know not everyone has a gallery of photos to look at when they are anxious. Luckily, I have a few suggestions that are on campus. First off, if you realized how well the photo tip worked, I suggest you go to the De Saisset museum (we have an actual museum on campus!) to enter in a silent, calming environment. You can do this while you are walking from class to Benson, only for a few minutes, and I am sure you will come out more peaceful (and maybe an art history major!).
My other tip, one that I have used many times, is to go into the Mission gardens. The Adobe Lodge side, with the beautiful overhead of greenery and the isolation of a The Secret Garden-type scene, is a place where I like to sit, with a friend or alone, to take a moment for myself. I have, on my way to class, sat down on the bench to clear my thoughts for just 2 minutes, and returned toward O’Connor feeling ready to start the day. Sometimes life can be very overwhelming! This is why it is important for each of us, before things get too crazy, to find a way to reach peace in the insanity of the quarter system. I hope you try one of my suggestions and find that your surroundings can contribute to your happiness —and not just your anxiety!
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