As it nears the end of the semester, I, like most of my friends and classmates, am stressed out to a WHOLE. NEW. LEVEL. Between lectures, labs, papers, work, studying for finals — ah, the life life of a science major — and making sure my friendships don't crash and burn from my lack of energy to function on the day-to-day basis, I have no time to do anything except stress.
The funny thing about stress, is that there always seems to be something to stress about. I stress about going to class on time, staying awake during my class, studying for finals, and I even stress about the amount of stress I experience now. When I feel like quitting, or when I think I should just have a "treat-yo-self" moment and binge watch Mozart in the Jungle — for the third time — I think of the ways that I can handle the stress before I quit the day.
I am fortunate enough to have a great support system behind me with everything that I do. When I am stressed out beyond relief, I know that my friends and family are just a call or a text message away. Simply talking to someone about something that isn't related to the stress can help so much, but I am so very lucky to have friends and family who are capable beyond measure of thinking through situations, and getting me back on the de-stressed track. Without a doubt, my friends and family are the top stress reliever, and I am happy that I know I always have someone to turn to when I need someone the most.
Another way that I try to beat the stress is by brewing and drinking herbal tea. Sometimes, just smelling the tea will help to calm me down before I am ready to take a nap at 3:30 p.m. and not wake up until my 9 a.m. class the next morning. I like to brew fragrant teas, but just as much as that, I enjoy drinking a mix of hot water with lemon slices, with a little bit of honey stirred in. It's important to remember though that if your stress is beginning to lead to anxiety — story of my life — drinking teas that have caffeine in them can make your anxiety worse, so I usually reserve those for mornings when I am struggling to wake up for class. Most herbal teas, though, are sans caffeine, so its really just about what smells and flavors calm you down the most. You can brew lavender leaves with the lemon slices, and it is so heavenly and calming.
The most daunting, but one of the most efficient ways to relieve stress is to set aside times throughout the week that are dedicated solely to completing the tasks at hand. I say daunting because as college students, what else are we avoiding besides creepy guys at the bar and homework? But this is one of the most efficient ways to deal with stress; It feels so good to roll through the tasks and homework. It works the same as wiping down a dry-erase board that is cluttered with words and diagrams. Getting through the things that create stress in your life clears your mind of the harmful emotions we feel when we are stressed out.
Listening to music also helps me to get my mind of the things I worry about, though this probably isn't the most efficient way to handle my feelings as finals week starts to come around. Some of my favorites to listen to are . . .
Twenty One Pilots — Cancer (Cover).
Flume — Sleepless feat. Jezzabell Doran.
Manchester Orchestra — I Can Feel A Hot One.
The Gaslight Anthem — The '59 Sound.
We Were Promised Jetpacks — Conductor.
However you choose to deal with your stress, just remember that it is the most important thing to stay happy and healthy, whatever that may mean to you. So, find something that works, even if it is as simple as sitting in Starbucks for the ten minutes you have between classes, or going for a walk or run — one of my favorites. Also remember that while alcohol may lead to fun times with friends, and 'everyone's doing it anyways', it is not a way to handle your stress. In fact, drinking will probably lead to more problems than it will solve on a Friday night. So keep it healthy, and keep it stress free.
