College is some of the best and most stressful years of your life. It’s a time where everyone is figuring life out while also trying to perform well academically. At times, I’m sure we’ve all felt the weight of school, extracurriculars, athletics, or other commitments begin to pile up on us. It’s overwhelming, and it’s easy to break down from the weight of all these expectations and deadlines put on us. Luckily, there are effective and easy ways for us to cope with this stress, and here are just a few examples:
1. Give Yourself a Spa Day
We all love being pampered, but let’s be real, it’s hard to scrape together the extra cash and find the time to go to an actual spa during a school week. However, college does provide a decent amount of free time on the weekend for most of us, it’s just a matter of blocking off some of that time to take care of yourself. You don’t have to spend a ton of money in order to give yourself “spa quality” treatment. A drug store face mask, some lotion, and nail polish can be just as effective. Making yourself feel good like this on the outside can really help you feel good on the inside, especially if you’re stressing about a big project or exam coming up. It’s amazing what some you-time can do to your stress levels!
2. Find A Few Hours to Spend With Friends
While studying and homework take priority in college, it’s important to take time to be social as well. Goofing around with your friends is a great way to take your mind off of whatever the pressing matter of the day is. They always say that laughter is the best medicine, and what better way to make yourself laugh than to hang out with friends and enjoy each other’s bad jokes.
3. Do Something Creative
Whether it’s painting, sculpting, singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or anything of the sort, do something that engages the creative side of your brain. Doing something you find passion and value in like this is a great way to keep your stress levels low and happiness levels high. We all have a creative side to us, it’s just a matter of finding the time to bring it out. The sense of accomplishment you can get from these activities can also turn around a stressful situation, as you now feel a sense of pride and self-worth from creating or performing something you know are talented at.
4. Watch Something on Netflix/TV
While binge-watching to procrastinate does not always help our stress levels, watching a movie or a few episodes of your favorite show can help. As long as the TV doesn’t take away from whatever you need to be focusing on, there is nothing wrong with putting your feet up and getting cozy in bed to enjoy what TV has to offer.
5. Take a Nap
Most of us are sleep deprived anyway in college, which means taking a nap is always a good idea. It’s hard to focus on whatever it is you need to do if you’re tired, so taking a nap can really help you cope with that. Getting enough sleep helps us all to wake up and feel instantly refreshed, and therefore, it can reduce the stress you feel inside your mind and body.
6. Exercise
A great way to feel on top of your game is to focus on conditioning your body. People who feel in shape are most often the happiest, and not only because they feel they look good, but also because exercise releases hormones and endorphins that coincide with a feeling of happiness. This can help reduce your stress level overall because you won’t feel as unhappy from putting all kinds of negative pressure on yourself.