Do you find yourself feeling beaten down by this semester? At this point, I am mentally drained. Too much thinking is never good. So I have documented the things that have been helping me get through the school day.
In The Mornings
Waking up 30 minutes earlier!! With this extra 30 minutes you can really wake up your mind and your body to prepare yourself for the day. The first thing I do is grab something to eat or drink. Once I have fed myself, I’ll find a nice place to sit. If it’s warm enough outside, I’ll grab a blanket or jacket to lie out on the grass! I’ll bring my laptop to watch a 20-minute show (I would recommend, friends or "how I met your mother"), or I’ll just listen to music!
In Between Classes
Whether you have five minutes or five hours, find the time to relax. Turn your brain off for 1-10 minutes to just breathe. You can set a timer or get a mediation app to help guide you. The app that I have been using is “Stop, Think & Breathe”. It starts by asking you to check in mentally and physically on a scale of Great-Rough. Next, it asks you to pick out five emotions from a list of 115 varying emotions. The app will then use your answers to generate the perfect mediation for you! Plus it’s free in the App Store!
After Classes
If you are drowning in homework, it’s hard to remember that your body needs some attention too. The solution to this is a quick walk. I know we walk A LOT during the day, to and from home, to and from classes, etc. But, this walk is different. This is a walk without a destination. Throughout the day, we are constantly on a schedule and we can never just enjoy the beauty of walking. So, let your legs tell you where to go and clear your mind.
Nighttime
I always get stressed out at night in anticipation for the next day. Feeling prepared for the day, starts with the day before! Personally, I have found that planning out my morning the night before helps to ease some of that stress. I’ll pick one aspect of the morning and either pack my bag, fill up my water bottle, pick out my outfit or lay out my toiletries for the next morning.
Before Bed
Once you’ve settled in for the night and are ready to go to bed- do at least five minutes of something you enjoy. This will result in a happy mind and hopefully a good sleep. Some of my suggestions are; dancing, stretching, singing, listening to music, coloring, drawing, and watching funny videos or shows.
I hope some of these tips can be applied in your lives! Share how you deal with stress, in the comments below.
