As the school year approaches and summer slowly fades away, papers and projects begin to approach. Along with school comes stress. Balancing school with life is a very difficult thing to do. Although I am far from a master at managing stress, I have a few outlets I turn to that could be helpful to you as the school year approaches.
1. Exercise
In the words of Elle Woods, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy." It really is as simple as that. Many people put off exercising because they think they must do an intense workout. Although you should slip some cardio into your routine, it doesn't have to be everyday. All you need is thirty minutes. Walk around with your friends uptown or on a hiking trail. That counts! I personally turn to Spin classes when I'm stressed. Spin gives you no room to think. You are working out at such a fast pace that you have a chance to forget what you were stressed about. After I finish my class, I come back to whatever was filling my mind and I automatically have a better outlook on it.
2. Passions
If you fill up your life with things you love, then the parts that you don't love too much won't seem that bad. For example, I love to write. So I joined Odyssey. Odyssey keeps me busy with an article a week. The thing is though since I love to write, my job at Odyssey does not stress me out but rather it is an escape. It doesn't have to be something work related though. I love fashion and shopping makes me really really happy. Go shopping without any purchase in mind, that's often when you find the best purchase and it doesn't require much thought. During the school year do things you love that will be an escape from school work or any other stressor in your life.
3. Write
I know that writing does not come easy to everyone, but writing can still be a stress reliever even if you don't consider yourself particularly good at it. When I am overwhelmed during the school year, I make to-do lists of what I have to get done and by when I need to get it done. This provides me with a sense of order and takes off a lot of stress. However, I know that during the school year your only stress isn't school. We have lives filled with things happening everyday. When I'm feeling overwhelmed in general, I write down what I'm feeling overwhelmed about. Then, I go on with my day and forget about what I wrote down. This always gives me perspective on whatever is happening in my life. Give it a day or two and turn back to what you wrote down. Sometimes all it takes is twenty four hours for you to see the bigger picture in life.
School is hard. And there are no escaping the stresses that come along with it. I hope these outlets help you as you prepare to slay the upcoming school year!
