As another school year begins, so does another year of constantly stressing out about having to do everything in your color-coated, Lilly Pulitzer planner. As the years go on, it seems like we have less and less free time to do the things we enjoy, and more importantly, take care of ourselves. Of course, sanity should always come first, and for the little slivers of time that we carve out to enjoy our day, here are some suggestions that are good for the body and for the soul:
1. Go to the Gym
We are very lucky here at the University of Utah to have a facility as impressive as the Student Life Center. Whenever you are feeling down, low on energy, or have a compulsion to punch your roommate because she plays her music on full blast at 6 a.m., having a quick work out can make the biggest difference in the world. As Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”
2. Netflix
It is no secret that every collegiette is in a devoted and loving relationship with their Netflix account. Netflix allows us to turn our brains off for half-hour episodes at a time and get soaked into the world of Friends, Stranger Things, or Orange is the New Black. A mindless activity such as this will help hit the restart button after a stressful day.
3. Music
Invest in a good pair of headphones in order to transport yourself into another world with music. It doesn’t matter what genre you are into, music is proven to help a person relax and let go of excess tension. Apple Music offers three free months of streaming if you have an iPhone, and it gives you access to an endless selection of radio, playlists, and songs. Music is so accessible because it can be listened to in bed, on the go, at the gym, really whenever and wherever (just not in class).
4. Vent Sessions
One of the only ways to stay sane, in my humble opinion, is venting. We endure so much bull#@*! every single day and our insanity-bottles start to fill up. They get so, so full, and if we don’t empty them, it’s a matter of time before we explode. Try to avoid crying/screaming/mental breakdowns by letting your feelings out every once in a while. We all need a person who we can tell anything and everything, and once you find that person, use them! Tell them everything that is going wrong with your life and celebrate everything that is going right with your life. Just remember that you have to be that person for your friend, too!
5. Beauty
Stress is often associated with one of the most horrid abnormalities known to man: ACNE. We’ve all had it, we’ve all had to deal with it. Eventually, we need to accept that with the beginning of the school year comes imperfections and dark circles, but there are also ways to help them. Investing in a good brightening facial mask helps refresh the face and keep pores clear and happy. Also, we must never forget the golden rule: wash your makeup off each night. Now, more than ever, we need to get our butts to the bathroom at the end of the night, no matter how tired we are, and wash our faces! It keeps our skin healthy and glowing and prevents those nasty little pimples from ruining our day.