At my university, despite being just 4 days into classes, I am already stressed out. With deadlines coming quicker than I can complete assignments, I can tell this semester will be stressful. For you, it might be the same. Avoiding stress is the key to maintaining your health and mental wellbeing, but how? Here are 5 stress reduction techniques to help you stay sane this spring.
1. Do Yoga
Even if you aren't flexible or athletically inclined, yoga is perfect for everyone. In between social media breaks, take a few minutes in your room to try some positions that can stretch your body out and leave you less tense. Poses such as the "downward facing dog" and "the wheelbarrow" promote blood flow to the brain and eases tension off the back.
2. Meditate
Meditating isn't always sitting crossed-legged on the floor and humming; it's about reaching a total state of relaxation and comfort. Meditation techniques include counting to ten and synchronized breathing. There are several apps to help you do this, such as Headspace and Calm.
3. Spend your time wisely.
An important part of stress management is time management. Allocate specific times during the week to do your assignments, and don't procrastinate. Procrastination leads to last-minute stress. Also set aside some personal time during the week. Whether you spend this time taking a nap or painting, this time should be for you and you only.
4. Remove unimportant stressors.
If there are any unimportant things in your life causing you stress, remove them from your life. This may be your friends who enjoy drama or a habit that interferes with your ability to stay calm. If it's not essential to your mental/physical wellbeing or your education - remove them. While removing them from your life might initially cause you to be more stressed, you will be better off in the long run.
5. Listen to your body.
If there is no one else on this Earth you want to listen to, you need to listen to your body. Often we are so caught up in deadlines that we miss the obvious signs of exhaustion, anxiety, and malnutrition. While your upcoming assignments may be very important, nothing is more important than your mental and physical health. Taking care of your body now can eliminate stress in the future.