1. Meditate

I freaking hate taking the time to meditate, but I did it yesterday and it felt pretty damn good, so maybe I should do it more often. I promise it doesn't require a lot of work and you can do it anywhere that's relatively quiet, so there's no reason not to do it when you need to take a break. If you just google "beginners' meditation" there are literally thousands of websites and videos that can help you out and I promise, it's worth it. It doesn't have to be long, just 15 minutes if that's all you have time for.

2. Movement

I don't care what you do- roll off your bed and flop onto the floor, jump, scream, dance like an idiot, lay on your back while simultaneously shaking your hands and feet, whatever it is that you feel like doing as long as you're doing something. Chances are that you're staring at a screen for hours every day so it's important to check in on your limbs every once in a while, to make sure they still work.

3. Don’t Forget What You Really Are...

… A houseplant with complicated emotions! You need to water yourself, feed yourself, and get some sunshine/be placed outside for a little bit every day- ya know, the basics. You should also remember to clean yourself every so often, which I don't think plants do, but you should definitely do that if you need to.

4. Take a Break That Does NOT Involve Screens

I'm guilty of this because it's easy, but easy doesn't help when you're two minutes away from dying your hair, sneaking across the Canadian border, adopting a cat, and creating a new life for yourself instead of dealing with your stress in a productive way. When you need a break from your online classes, do NOT go watch TikToks for the next three hours. I don't care what you do as long as you aren't replacing your computer screen for your itty-bitty phone screen, but you better not be looking at a screen.