The beginning of the semester can be a stressful time for many students, organizing schedules and navigating the renewed workload. As the semester continues to amp up, it is important for everyone to come up with strategies to cope with anxiety. Here are some tips to remedy your anxiety and stay mentally healthy.
Stay Active: Exercise can relieve your anxiety for a long period of time after working out, so if you like to be active anyway, make sure to schedule a time during your day or your week to head over to the Athletics Complex to work out.
Sleep: Anxiety can make it difficult to go to sleep, but getting a good night’s sleep can also help with stress and nerves. If you’re having trouble going to sleep, try to avoid caffeine before bed, keep room dark (try to stay off of your phone or tablet), and establish a time to go to bed each night. With this technique, your body can adjust to a regular sleep schedule.
Meditate: When anxiety really gets to you, meditation can be a method to try and approach stress with a calm outlook. Research some meditation techniques or run with it however you want to. Turn on some relaxing music, close your eyes, breath deeply, and just take some time to be with yourself without thinking about everything else.
Healthy Diet: Too much sugar can impact your mood, and make everything you have to do all the more daunting. Drinking plenty of water, and eating fruits, vegetables, and protein are great ways to feel healthier and better equipped to face the craziness of life. Of course, indulging once in a while is important to stay sane as well, just make sure to balance everything so the sugar isn’t making you feel worse.
Aromatherapy: Essential oils, especially lavender, grapefruit, or bergamot, help alleviate anxiety. Adding these to a diffuser in your dorm room can help you finish all of those assignments and readings in a relaxing environment.
Deep Breathing: To avoid the surge of panic when you realize everything you have to do, take a step back and take some deep breaths to be able to face everything calmly. This practice can also help you get to sleep.
Campus Resources: These remedies may help to combat the start of second semester nerves, but if you continue to have anxiety, and it becomes too much to handle, it is important to seek help. Visit https://students.wustl.edu/mental-health-services/ for more information on WashU’s Mental Health Resources for Students. Remember that your mental health is more important than academics, and take care of yourself before your classes.