With finals coming up, students are being slammed with papers, projects, and presentations. Most of these are usually assigned to be due in the same week—sometimes even on the same day. This, as well as jobs, friends, and family, puts an extreme amount of stress and/or anxiety on students. So give yourself a well-deserved break and try some of these tips to help ease some of that stress and/or anxiety.
1. Go for a walk.
It'll help clear your head! Instead of being trapped in your room, go outside! Being in the open and walking around in the fresh air will not only provide some good exercise, but it will give you a little bit of time for yourself instead of having to worry about other things.
2. Color!
Because, if we're being honest, we haven't fully grown up yet. Coloring is still the best pastime, no matter what age you are. In fact, adult coloring books are becoming increasingly popular. Grab some crayons, colored pencils, and markers, and color to your heart's content -- inside the lines and outside the lines. Once you feel like you've done enough, you'll feel immensely better. (Get your coloring books here!)
3. Write.
When you're stressed, there are either a million thoughts running through your head, or your head just totally rejects anything else that comes toward it. If you feel like you're having trouble expressing yourself to others during this time, just write down everything you're thinking or feeling. It will hopefully help clear your head, as all your thoughts are now on paper instead of clogging your mind. Making lists of things that need to get done can also help ease some nerves, as that makes a visual to help you for planning.
4. Listen to music.
Put on your favorite music, and put it on loudly. Sing and dance to it! If you want to put something on to help keep you focused, try classical music.
5. Watch a movie.
A movie holds somewhere between an hour and a half to three hours of your time and attention. That gives you 90 minutes to three hours of not stressing about or worrying about something else. Give that movie your undivided attention. When you're finished watching the movie, continue about your day, and think about what would have happened if the movie had ended differently.
6. Spend time with those you're close to.
This could be friends or family, given that they aren't the ones causing you stress or anxiety. Spending time with the people you care about the most is a great reliever. Stresses and worries seem to disappear when you're having a good time, and being away from the things that are causing these feelings makes time feel like it's standing still. Being in contact with your favorite people during these times is also beneficial because you can talk to them and get help from them on whatever you're going through. So plan a lunch or a day trip. You never know what may happen.
7. Take a mental-health day!
It is totally OK to do when absolutely necessary. If you need an extra day to work on something, or if you're just mentally exhausted and are able to afford taking a day off, do it. Sometimes it's best to just take a break (even when it's not the weekend) to gather yourself and put yourself back together. This can do amazing things for you and your mental health. Taking care of yourself now will prevent a breakdown in the future, and that is worth it.
