Stress Vitamins

Stress Vitamins by Olly is the specific brand I use. These vitamins have GABA (a helpful neurotransmitter that allows your Amygdala (remembers fear) to not overwork and allows you to feel calm without overworking. They also contain L-Theanine and Lemon Balm, these have been used for many years to battle stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed.

These are my favorite because they are so tasty. They have a very lemon/strawberry flavor that makes taking two of these (when needed, not everyday) very easy! In about thirty minutes to an hour, I feel instantly calm and like I am in the right state of mind to work and get all of that school, house, or extra work done.

Small Groups

Small groups are something our YoungLife chapter does (I am sure most do) that allows you to get together with a small group of people usually of the same gender to talk about your week, Jesus, and just to feel loved on. This allows you to not feel so alone in the struggles that you are facing in your daily life and battle the anxiety that you feel. They also usually have group messages to gain encouragement throughout the week.

You do not have to join a small group necessarily, they are just a little more personal. However, even a study group will allow you to study with others and small talk about the common things you are struggling with in class and still feel the sense of not being alone.

Spontaneous Friend Outings 

Do not be afraid to reach out to your friends and ask them to randomly go to Walmart, Target, Krispy-Kreme, or wherever your heart desires! This will allow you to get away from whatever you are stressing over and come back with a more positive outlook and attitude.

This will more than likely help your grades improve. However, if you abuse the idea of only hanging out with friends and never taking the time to focus on exams, homework, or papers. This is will greatly affect your grade negatively. So, remember that hanging out with your friends is one of the best ways to improve stress and anxiety, but it is not something to devote all your time into. School will always matter. GET THAT DEGREE LOVE!

CLEAN

This is the biggest stress reliever for me! I will wash dishes, do laundry, vacuum, dust wipe, and so many more. To clean my house. This gives me a sense of control and if I have control over how clean my house is, then I will be okay. I may not be able to control somethings, so I channel this into cleaning.

I also struggle with control. I need to learn to let go of the worrying and just let God be God! So, cleaning has helped me transfer all that controlling energy into cleaning and not stress over all the other things that I cannot control, nor need to try to control.

This will also show you a sense that everything is together, and you do not need to worry about it. My mom used to say "If your room is a mess, then so is your life", my mother is very right, however it is okay to be a little messy sometimes when it has been a busy week, but just clean up when you have some down time.

Also, planning your week in your planner, will give you a sense of having it together and know all things coming up that week so you will be on top of it and get things done!

Animal Loving 

Adopting a sweet animal is one of the most amazing things that can relieve stress and anxiety. This will allow you to have a constant companion when you are at home studying. Also, they technically won't bother you unless they need to go to the bathroom or want to be fed.

However, I understand that some people do not want the responsibility of taking care of an animal in college. Therefore, the animal shelter is always taking volunteers! On your day off, take the time to go hang out with some kittens or puppies and just send thirty minutes to an hour of your day giving love to the sweet baby animals. This will give you the same anxiety release without the responsibility of taking them home and taking care of them forever.