Exams. Essays. Student loans. Meetings and clubs. What am I going to cook for dinner tonight?
All of these topics strike fear in the heart of any college student. They also cause an immense amount of stress. Stress is an inevitable part of college. It's a time of discovering one's self, figuring out future careers, and learning to be an independent adult, on top of the copious amounts of homework and studying.
In 2009, a study found that 85% of college students described their daily lives as stressful. Also, there has been a 58% increase in stress-related mental health issues since 1988. Why are college students so much more stressed now than in the past? There's no clear answer to this, but I believe one of the factors may be the glorification of living a busy lifestyle. We try to jam-pack in as much into our days as physically possible. Personally speaking, I live a busy lifestyle because I am worried about so many different aspects of my future (having enough money saved up when I graduate, having materials to put on my resume) that I constantly overload my schedule. Therefore, I am consistently leaving home at 7:30 a.m. and not returning until 10 p.m., often not going to bed until after midnight.
A little bit of stress is normal and even good! Stress is what fuels us to study for that exam so we get a good grade, or motivate us to get a part-time job so we have a little extra cash. But too much stress is detrimental. Stress is accompanied by a plethora of negative side effects, such as increased heart rate, stomach ailments, feelings of helplessness, loss of concentration, eating problems (eating too much or too little), and drug and alcohol abuse.
So how do we combat the stress? I had the worst stress reduction techniques in high school. These included stress eating, bottling up my emotions until they exploded out of me, binge-watching How I Met Your Mother on Netflix, and sleeping. Yes, a few of these sound very nice, but in reality, they did not help me reduce my stress, but rather allowed me to hide from it for a while.
Needless to say, these tactics did not work well when I came to college. Therefore, I started exploring other means of stress reduction, and I'm very happy with the strategies I've found. Here are some of my favorite, low-cost stress reduction strategies:
1. Yoga
I am a huge yogi now! I started practicing yoga last year by watching videos online, but I've now started attending classes. I try to practice at least 3 days a week, preferably 4. Yoga has so many wonderful benefits for your body, including increased flexibility and muscle strength, improved energy, maintaining metabolism, reducing the risk of injury, reducing stress, improving sleep quality... The list goes on and on. In addition, there are a variety of types of yoga that target different parts of the body and/or of the mind.
2. Aromatherapy
Essential oils are my new best friend. A friend of mine from high school introduced me to the benefits of oils in not only relaxation but also increasing energy. Oils can be used in different forms too; I use a diffuser to fill the air with the scents, but I can also massage lavender oil on my temples after yoga, or even ingest thieves oil to relieve my sore throat. Oils are incredibly versatile - I'm taking a whiff of my lavender scented aromatherapy bracelet as I write this!
3. Coloring
Adult coloring books are all the rage, and I am a huge believer in them! Not only is it a stress reducer, but it's also very expressive. I've learned a lot about which color combinations I like (purple, blue, and green dominate most of my colorings). It's a fantastic activity to do with others; I've definitely had coloring parties with friends and I love every second of it.
4. Meditation
As much as I love meditation, I actually struggle with it a lot. My brain is always running at a mile a minute, and I really struggle to focus for the duration of the meditation. I think this just proves why I need to practice it more!
5. Music
In a lot of ways, music is actually a huge stressor in my life right now. I'm studying music therapy, so I spend hours a day practicing my instruments and studying music theory, history, and aural skills. However, when I take the time to listen to some music for me, I become so relaxed. I choose to listen to more laid back, relaxing music, and my favorite genres are alternative, indie pop, acoustic, and reggae.
6. Deep breathing exercises
When I become stressed, my breath often becomes faint and shallow. By not properly oxygenating my body, I'm actually making myself feel worse. There are so many wonderful deep breathing exercises that work to regulate and improve the breath. One of my favorites is the 3-4-5 breathing technique. Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and breathe out for 5 seconds. This can be amended for any length of time, whatever is most comfortable for your body. Another one of my favorites is the Ujjayi breath, or "ocean breath." This is done by slowly inhaling through the nose, and slowly breathing out through the mouth making a "HAAAAAH" sound, like a sigh of relief. It's often used for calming nerves and agitation, as well as during exercise.
7. Quality time with friends
A few weeks ago after a particularly stressful week at school, my friend and I went out to Yellow Springs to do some hiking. We also spent a lot of time in a cute coffee shop in town. It gave both of us an opportunity to talk to each other about what was going on in our lives and help each other through the difficulties we were experiencing. I look back on that experience often (especially that coffee shop, it was so cool!) and I'm very grateful for my wonderful friends who are there to laugh with me, cry with me, or just listen to me rant about anything and everything.
8. The Great Outdoors
Going back to hiking... I love being outside. As a music major, I spend most of my time in one building. Most days I spend at least 8-9 hours in the building. Therefore, I love stepping out of the building at the end of the day and breathing in the outdoor air. Sometimes the only time I have outdoors every day is walking from my apartment to class and back home at the end of the day. I savor that time and take in every breath of fresh air I can, sometimes taking that time to practice deep breathing. However, I do love the days when I can go biking, hiking, etc.
9. Cooking
This is my first year with an apartment, therefore my first year with a kitchen. And I must say, I LOVE cooking! I love exploring new recipes, trying new foods, and the feeling of accomplishment for providing for myself. Unfortunately, Americans do not have the best relationship with food. We often eat very hastily without giving our body proper digestion time, and we also don't always choose the best foods to eat. I try to eat as much organic food as possible, which makes my body feel better. Anything we can do to physically improve our bodies can reduce stress. In addition, I have made food time "me" time. I do not do homework while I eat; meals are a time for me to socialize with others or simply relax by myself.
Stress reduction looks a little bit different for everyone, depending on what you enjoy doing. The important thing to remember is whatever stress reduction technique you choose should be benefiting you in a healthy and positive manner. Please feel free to comment about what you're favorite stress reduction techniques are!
