I don’t believe any college students who say they are not stressed. College practically breeds stress.
Not only do your professors conveniently schedule all your midterms for the same week, but you’re supposed to balance internships, work, a social life and, on occasion, sleep.
Though it’s true that college students have some of the highest levels of energy, metabolism and sense of invincibility, this doesn’t make us super humans.
Stress is also not some new phenomenon for college students. We know the signs, the causes and how you are supposed to manage it. But let’s be honest: when I am stressed and can’t even find the time to sleep more than four hours, fitting in that five mile run that is supposed to calm me down is likely to stress me out more.
And sure, I know green tea will make me more “zen,” but when it’s 3 a.m. and I still need to start my eight-page paper due the next day (true story), a triple shot Americano is going to beat out any type of tea any day.
Thankfully, here are five distress relieving trips that really work, can be done anywhere and anytime (3 a.m. in the library, I’m looking at you) and won’t make you more stressed out in the process.
1. Stretch.
When we feel stressed, our body goes into fight-or-flight mode, causing our muscles to become more tense and tight. Stretching helps relieve pressure and kick-starts better circulation, which has a proven relaxing effect. Plus, even though it might not seem like it, stretching is technically a form of exercise and thus leads to the release of stress-reducing endorphins.
OK, so this can’t technically be done in the library at 3 a.m., but if you are in the library that late, you are definitely going to need a shower soon. The heat from your shower allows your external skin temperature to rise, increasing your thyroid and reducing stress. The strong water pressure is also a great way to relieve tight neck and shoulder muscles.
3. Listen to music.
And it doesn’t have to be soft music; music in general has significant stress relief abilities. Listening to your favorite songs relaxes you, boosts your mood and bonus points if you sing along, as that is said to increase the body’s production of the mood elevating hormone, serotonin. Also noteworthy is that the rhythm of songs is cited to have an underlying calming effect.
4. Make time for friends.
Even though this might seem counterintuitive when you have midterms and that whole “finding a job” problem to deal with, hanging out with your friends, even in short bursts, has incredible benefits. Spending time with friends combats loneliness, creates a sense of connection and self-worth and is a no-brainer mood booster. Even if you can’t see friends in person, just taking a break for a quick phone call or Gchat is a solid stress reducer.
5. Schedule time to worry.
If you are really worried about something, studies have shown that the best way not to let it stress you out more than necessary is to pick out a time each day to worry about it and then vow to not think about it for the rest of the day. “By compartmentalizing worry — setting aside a specific half-hour period each day to think about worries and consider solutions, and also deliberately avoiding thinking about those issues the rest of the day — people can ultimately help reduce those worries, research has shown,” according to an MSNBC article. Perhaps easier said than done, but definitely worth a try.
