Kareena Batra
Since I was a kid, I have found something to stress about. Whether it be my next upcoming test, an event happening soon, or what I was going to wear the next day, I found myself anxious about anything and everything. Since coming to college and not being able to sleep at night because of the stress of just existing, I realized a change needs to be made. So, here are 5 ways I cope with stress and put my mind at peace, even from a dorm room!
- Journaling
I will admit, I was the type of person to make fun of journaling until I started doing it. When I got to college, I realized that everyone was just as stressed as I was, and finding an outlet for every thought in my brain was difficult in a school with over 50,000 students! But, once I started writing, I literally could not stop – it was so nice to get everything in my brain out onto a piece of paper and to be able to look back and reflect on it. And it didn’t even have to be my feelings, some days I would just write a diary of what happened that day. Honestly, I didn’t realize how important it was to reflect on my feelings until they were on a paper in front of me.
2. Lists
My life has been run by lists. I have lists for each day, for the week, and for the month. It’s kind of ridiculous how many lists I make in a day, but a tamed version of my list-making is really beneficial for holding yourself accountable without stressing yourself out. By writing down everything you want to accomplish in a day, you have it in front of you, which is less stressful for your brain to remember. Some days, I even put stuff like “wake up” on my list because being able to check trivial things off the list eases my brain.
3. Connecting with Nature
At the risk of sounding corny, nature has seriously become so important to me – and I don’t mean bird watching or picking flowers. Since the sun has started to come out, prioritizing going outside and getting that Vitamin D has become really important for me (and for my tan). In the winter, the seasonal depression really does its thing sometimes, and this winter in particular was really hard for me in college. So, since the sun has come out, I’ve made a huge effort to sit outside and study, read, or scroll on my phone for half an hour. I cannot stress enough how much this boosts my mood and my energy.
4. Reading (or some form of it)
So, for those of you who aren’t readers, you’re probably gonna want to skip this section – but don’t! I have loved reading since I was a kid, but since high school, I haven’t had much time for it, and the time I do have, I would rather spend on my phone, napping, or watching TV. But since I have started reading again – a book, a magazine, anything – I realized just how relaxing it is to not have to think about anything except the words on the page in front of me. My biggest excuse was that I didn’t have time to read, but once I picked up a book, I realized how much time I spend scrolling on TikTok a day, and how easily I could pick up a book and do something better for my brain.
5. Self Care
This aspect of de-stressing kind of goes without saying, but so many people underestimate how powerful it really is. We all know Sundays are rest days, but try to expand it further than just a rest day from school and schoolwork. Think of it more as a rest day for your brain from all the burdens you carry every day. I take every Sunday to clean, do my laundry, put on a face mask, and straighten my hair because these are all mindless things that I enjoy. Taking one day out of the week to prioritize your peace of mind and happiness is so crucial to living a stress-less life.
The moral of the story is to do things that may not be a part of your everyday go-go-go routine because long term, your brain will thank you for giving it some rest. We live in anticipation, so taking some time every day to give your brain a break is so important for your success as a person. And I promise, if you give these things a chance, they work!