1. Find a good place to lose your shit, and lose it.
When it feels like everything imaginable is swirling around in your brain like a makeshift tornado, sometimes the only thing that you can do to stop it or slow it down, is to lose it completely. Go out of control, scream your lungs out, or make a mess. In our culture today, being anything but in control is almost considered unacceptable. Social media specifically helps assist this mentality by painting the insta worthy pictures of perfection. This mentality sometimes ends up making the inevitable blow up even worse and disastrous. Actively choosing to go a little bit off the rails can be much better than accidentally setting off a painful explosion of emotions, thoughts, and feelings. The important thing to remember about purposely going a little bit derailed is to make sure you do so in a safe place where there's no possibility of it being aimed or directed at another person or creature. And remember when losing, make sure there is no way of finding it again and it really is truly lost.
2. Immerse yourself in nature.
One of the perfect places to lose your shit can also be one of the perfect places to just take a moment and breathe. National parks, forests, and even just your backyard can serve as the place to take a break from the world. Take a moment to stop and smell the flowers or to find a calm place to meditate and just be. Nature can appear in all sorts of forms to you and your interaction with it can also appear in all sorts of forms. Maybe instead of walking down a nature trail you play fetch in your backyard with your dog. Animals seem to have a way of seeing into our souls and knowing exactly what we need, petting an animal can be calming for them and for you. When things can seem overwhelming, nature and its many inhabitants have a wonderful way of making things and thoughts much clearer and possible.
3. Exercise.
Work it out, dance it out, get it out! Exercising gives you the headspace to think about things and process them, even the things you might be attempting to run away from on the treadmill. Exercise classes and gym memberships can especially come in handy for this tip, when appearing in all frames of possibility, yoga and cycling classes or intense Crossfit and cross country running are only just some examples of the many options. Now classes are even more accessible with their availability on online platforms and even YouTube. However, fitness classes aren't the only option for getting physically active. Walking, swimming, rowing, learn what form of exercise is the most accessible for you and the most especially the most helpful. Sometimes listening to some music and dancing like no one's watching can be the flawless stress reliever. No matter what your exercise of choice is, getting physically active can be a great way to provide you the state of mind to work things out as well as give you the boost of endorphins you needed!
4. Take the time to take care of yourself.
Make time in your day to take care of yourself! Little successes can be extremely impactful, even when sticking to a schedule with something as simple as brushing your teeth before bed can feel like a major win. A little self care can go far, especially making sure to eat regular meals and water daily. When school work and finals can feel overwhelming and stressful everything starts to feel that way, even scrounging up the energy to take a shower. Self care and self can look different to everyone, but making sure that you look after yourself is extremely important! When you need to relieve a little bit of stress or just feel a bit more refreshed and new self care and self love are great options always!
5. Rest, rest, rest!
When all else seems to fail a good night's sleep goes a long way even when it comes to the stress of finals and a semester ending. Sleep physically gives your body time to rest and recharge as well as mind. Even in sleep you can gain perspective in time separated from the stressors in your life. Rest, rest, rest!
Above all, listen to what you need to do. Your mind and your body are telling you what they need, maybe even screaming it in times of stress. As well as to make sure you don't forget to be proud of yourself! Look how far you have come and recognize how much you have already accomplished! You've got this, you can do this!
