I’ve been back at school for less than a week, and I’m already feeling extremely stressed. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed that we don’t know what to do with ourselves. If that’s the case for you, here are some ideas.

1. Go to the beach

If you go to Endicott, you’re lucky enough to have three beaches on campus to choose from. Summer isn’t over yet! Stick your toes in the sand before it gets too cold out.

2. Listen to music

Put on your favorite tunes, dance like no one is watching, and sing like no one is listening. Before you know it, you will completely forget about the five assignments that are due tomorrow.

3. Take a break from the homework to hang out with friends

Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, set the homework aside and have a good laugh with your friends. They’ll help you realize that everything is going to be fine and you’ll eventually get done what you need to.

4. Doodle or color in a coloring book

Adult coloring books are very popular these days. Personally, I find coloring to be very calming. Colored pencils, crayons, markers… whatever you prefer, take ‘em out and color for a few minutes, you’ll feel so relaxed after!

5. Sweat it out

Go for a run, work out at the gym, or shoot hoops. Whatever the activity may be, get some exercise and I promise, you’ll sweat out a whole lot of that built up stress. Going to the gym benefits me just as much emotionally as it does physically.

6. Call a loved one

When I’m feeling really overwhelmed, I tend to call my parents. Sometimes I cry, other times I just complain about how I don’t want to do any of my homework. Either way, they listen and always manage to make me feel better.

7. Take a shower

A nice hot shower always makes me feel better. I come out feeling relaxed, refreshed, and squeaky clean. It’s the perfect way to calm down and clear your head.

8. When all else fails, take a nap.

Sometimes all you can do is climb into bed and close your eyes. While this isn’t the greatest idea when you’ve got seven other things to do, sometimes it’s all you need to get through a stressful time.

Hopefully one or more of these 8 ideas will work for you when you’re feeling stressed. If not... "stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts," so try eating a cupcake!