The holiday season can be an extremely stressful time for students. The combination of sleep-deprived study sessions in anticipation of finals week and preparing to head home and see your family can be tough to manage. Here are a few tips to help you keep your cool during what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
Breathe
The world can sometimes feel like it’s moving so quickly that we feel like we could fall off at a moments notice. During the holidays, this feeling can be magnified. When you’re feeling like everything is going too fast for you to manage, just take a deep breath. Push out your stomach as you inhale for four counts, hold it for two and exhale for four. This breathing exercise pushes air to the bottom of your lungs allowing you to get a full breath and clear your head.
Talk it out
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, talk it out. Keeping it inside will only let your feelings bubble up, making you feel more alone in the long run. If you feel like you can’t talk to anyone, write it out. Sorting through your emotions and getting to the root of the problem with help you get through it.
Find some alone time
After spending weeks preparing final projects, papers and portfolios, you would think that seeing your family would be calming, but sometimes, it can have the opposite effect. I come from a loud family, so I know how it feels to be overwhelmed by what is really just a grand, ear-piercing gesture of love. If you need to, take no shame in needing to walk away for a few minutes. Go outside. Look at the sky and just take a break.
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Sleep
You probably have a lot of sleep to catch up on after a semesters worth of hard work, so take advantage of the time you have to rest. Next semester will be here before you know it and you’ll want to be well rested when you’re getting back into the groove of things.
Have a bonding relaxation day
Grab your mom, your best girlfriends or both and plan a bonding relaxation day. Create DIY beauty treatments or pick up your favorite drugstore products for a day of pampering. Use this time to take care of yourself and show the people you love most that you appreciate them. Have fun!
Be thankful
The holidays are time to be thankful for all that we have. Look around you and remember that it’s the little things that count. We have so much to be happy about.
Is your stress still persisting?
If you’re still feeling constantly stressed and overwhelmed, it may be a sign of bigger issue at hand. Don’t be afraid to talk to a parent, counselor, medical professional or religious mentor to help you sort out your feelings.
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