One moment you’re okay, the semester is starting, and everything is chill. Suddenly, you start feeling a pressure. Nothing much, you ignore it. But then it escalates, and it doesn’t stop. You get more irritable, more sensitive. Everything feels heightened and you feel like you can’t breathe. Everything is happening at once, and you don’t think you have time for anything. You feel helpless and ready to give up. You don’t know what else to do, you want everything to stop.
You should stop, take a breath. Organize your thoughts. Take a minute to process things; don’t let the stress eat you alive. Talk to a friend, ask them for advice. Talk to a counselor, tell them how you feel or ask them how to manage all the things in your life.
Get rid of any unnecessary stressors. Your mental health and tranquility are more important than anything else there is.
There are also other activities you can do by yourself that will reduce stress and keep you centered on what’s important. You could exercise, be it in the gym or at your house; exercising keeps your mind focused on something other than your problems, improves your mental capacity and memory, and helps you sleep better at night. You could do yoga, which helps you heal emotionally, physically, and mentally. Other activities could be taking a warm shower or bath to calm yourself, drinking some chamomile tea, and even taking a restoring nap can help.
Stress is a powerful and dangerous thing to feel.
We all feel it, even if it doesn’t seem like it. And, overstressing can leave us physically exhausted and drained, which can lead to more serious problems like depression, a physical burnout, anxiety and more. Our number one priority should be taking care of ourselves and reducing our stress level; it’s a big step to a healthier mind, spirit, and body.