Did you know that April is National Stress Awareness Month? Well, up until recently, neither did I, but I feel like the fact that there's an entire month dedicated to stress awareness is something that we should be a bit more aware of in and of itself. So, in honor of this month, I would like to talk about a few things that I've learned to do to stop this feeling from getting the best of me. I mean, what better way to "celebrate" than by stopping stress in it's tracks?

1. Talk to someone about how you feel.

Maybe it's your best friend, or maybe it's your mom, but in any case, getting those stressful feelings off your chest is, for me at least, one of the first steps to working past it.

2. Take a walk.

Listen to the birds, jog with your dog, or just do something to get you out of your room (or the library) and away from whatever is causing your stress, even if it's just for a little while.

3. Do something fun.

Get your nails done, watch a movie, or bake cookies with your roommates. If you're doing something that you think is fun, then you're doing something that probably won't give you any reason to stress.

4. Take a break.

Sometimes for me, taking a break is key to relieving your stress. If you're writing a paper, sometimes just walking away and coming back to it will help you to de-stress and do your best.

5. Work on something else.

Take a break from studying for that big exam and do some homework for that class that you really love, and it will definitely help to ease your worry.

6. Do something you enjoy.

Read a book, watch your favorite movie, or maybe just paint your nails. Like doing something fun, if it's something you enjoy, you probably won't be stressing while you're doing it.

7. Make sure you're taking care of yourself.

Make sure you're getting enough sleep and not having to rely on coffee every few hours to get you through the day. If you're healthy, odds are you'll be happier, and able to fight off that stress before it even hits you.

8. Get some sleep.

On that note, get some sleep, or at least take a nap if you need one.

9. Reevaluate your situation.

Take a look at whatever it is that's causing your stress. Think about it from a different viewpoint, and work on your situation in a way that will help you to tackle it in the least stressful way possible.

10. Pray about what's bothering you.

When it comes down to it, the best thing to do is to pray about the source of your stress, and keep in mind that there's someone up there who's always listening, and always there to help you get through whatever is keeping you down.

Whether it's writing a paper or just trying to figure out what food I want to order when I'm next in line, I'm always getting stressed out about something, and I'd like to imagine I'm not the only one who feels this way. So the next time you do, it might be helpful to try some of these things. You might not eliminate it, but you can at least try to ease that stress before it gets the best of you.