This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at West Chester chapter.
Stress management is a popular topic right now and for good reason. It is important for all of us to have techniques that help us to identify when we feel stressed and to relieve stress. These are some things that help me to de-stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Meditation and yoga are great but they are not for everyone. If you can learn anything from simple meditation it is the ideas of controlling your breathing and centering yourself. In times when we are overwhelmed with the stress of classes, work, and pressure from family or friends, it can be really challenging to remember that we need to take time for ourselves. Do not be shy to know when you need to give yourself a break and take some time away from your stress.
Time for refreshment is especially important. Proper sleep is essential and knowing what conditions give you the best sleep is a great way to start. Do you like to be bundles up under a bunch of blankets or would you rather just have a top sheet? Are you someone who needs to sleep with the fan or a light on? All of that is fine, just know what your body needs to give you the best and most rejuvenating sleep so you can wake up ready to take on the stress of the day.
In order to do this right, limit your screen time at night too. Turn your phone notifications to silent and flip your phone face down so you will not be distracted or woken up by a text or snapchat notification. Limiting your screen time will help your brain know that it is time to wind down. If you are constantly stimulating your brain with new information right before you plan to go to bed, you will likely be up for a while, tossing and turning and getting frustrated about not being able to fall asleep.
You can avoid all this by just setting your phone aside and doing some self-reflection before bed instead of your nightly social media check. Center yourself and ask: What did I accomplish today? What was the best part of my day? This short reflection will allow you to wind down and fall asleep thinking positive thoughts.
Connect with Others
It is important for each of us to recognize that self-isolation is dangerous. We as humans are not made to be creatures without socialization. That being said, with the threat of the pandemic still in full, I am not suggesting you go out to a party or have a hundred of your closest friends over at your house. It is important to have a few people that are in your bubble though that you can spend some time with, whether this be a neighbor, sibling, roommate or whomever.
Since moving away for school, it has been very difficult for me personally to feel connected because I am several hours away from my family, whom I am very close to. To remedy this, we taught my grandparents how to use Zoom and FaceTime and at least once a week I call home and am able to videochat with my mom, brother and grandparents. (Sometimes my dog even makes a guest appearance to wag at the camera). It has made all the difference to me that even in times of stress like we’re feeling now that are different than ever before, I am still able to connect with those I love.
Another great thing to do is to connect with old friends and dorm mates. When I lived in the dorms I had a large group of girl friends that I could hang out with any time by just leaving my bed. Unfortunately for safety reasons, we do not have that same access. However, we have managed to make girls’ night still a possibility over FaceTime which helps us all get the chance to connect with one another and check up on our friends.
Anna Schultz / Her Campus
Get out of your Space
This has been another difficult challenge and stress builder for me as a result of the pandemic: the places I can go and things I can do outside my own house are more limited. That being said, there are still lots of fun things to do that will help you be free of your own space for a little while.
Go for a walk and get some fresh air. Taking a break from your regularly scheduled classwork and going outside to enjoy the nice fresh Fall air is a great way to get some time out of your space and take a break. It is super easy to just grab a mask or social distance and take a ponderous walk by yourself or with a friend. By getting out of your stressor space physically, you are allowing your brain to also take a break from the stress of the work in that room.
To me, self care goes beyond skin care and face masks. Those things are great too, but the self care I am referring to is doing things that you love for the sake of improving your own mood.
For me, things like cooking, baking and exercising all are things that I do for myself that bring up my mood. Eating good food and taking care of your body improves your physical health which has a positive influence on your mental health as well. Taking time out of your day to bake yourself something from scratch or do a short 30 minute workout makes taking a break easier because you are not just procrastinating, you are doing something productive even on a break. This will make it easier for you to go back to what you were doing before because you are still on a roll of taking care of yourself and what you need to do for yourself that day.
Finally, there are good positive ways to use media to take a break. Rewarding yourself for completing a long assignment by taking 10 or 15 minutes to scroll through Instagram is perfectly healthy. You just need to recognize whether the media you are consuming is positive for you and if you are spending too much time on your phone or computer and not enough time getting work done. One of my favorite ways to take a break is to watch one of my favorite movies. Since I have seen the movie many times, it does not distract me too much from thinking about what else I need to do. A movie also has finality. If you are watching a television show or something on a streaming service, it is way easier to just ignore the rest of your responsibilities and binge watch all day. A movie has a final beginning when the credits roll and it is up to you to decide what has been enough of a break for you to get back to the work you need to do.
Overall, the most important things for you to do are to consider what is right for you and the things that make you feel good. Recognize that everyone has stress and stressors in their lives and that it is okay to not always feel your best. Figure out what you need and the ways that help you refresh after a moment of stress.
Rachel Hageman is a senior at West Chester University. She is majoring in Communication Studies and has minors in Political Science and Applied Ethics. In her free time, she loves to paint, draw, bake, and spend time with her friends.
