With school being back in full swing, and from one college student to another, here's 15 ways to reduce the risk of stress impacting your lit plans for next weekend.
1. Get sleep at night.
Sleep almost entirely determines your mood. Getting the right amount affects your brain function, and without it you're more likely to experience stress than someone who gets their 6-8 hours per night. Stop taking naps during the day, and get more sleep at night.
2. Do an appropriate amount of exercise.
Whether this be one Body Wise class at the gym, or taking a walk up Horsebarn Hill to watch the sunset, 30 minutes per day of exercise can make you both physically and mentally more healthy. It causes you to release endorphins that reduce pain and make you feel happier. They also assist in tiring you out, which helps you sleep better at night.
3. Stay organized.
Being organized creates the false sense of having your life together. Simple things such as picking up after yourself and making your bed in the morning make coming back to your environment much more comforting, which helps to ease your mind.
4. Do yoga/meditate.
Meditation and yoga have incredible benefits including better sleep because your mind is at ease, more happiness because lowers stress, less weight gain because you stop stress eating, and can lead you to a clear path to achieve your goals in life.
5. Eat fruit and vegetables.
Foods such as avocado, spinach and blueberries produce dopamine, which is a brain-chemical that makes you happy, or at the very least balances the chemicals within to make you calm. Blueberries in particular have antioxidants that fight off disease, and also helps to defend you from stress.
6. Find someone you can confide in about your life.
Having someone to talk to and vent to about your life can prevent build up of things that may stress you out later. Other people knowing what you're going through also allows solutions to be brought up that you may not have thought of yourself, which can potentially prevent stressing about them in the future.
7. Surround yourself with positive influences.
Being surrounded by positive people and a strong support system gives you a calm sense of mind due to the fact that you know there will be people there for you and encourage you to carry on no matter what decisions you make, how you do on that exam, or whether or not you reach your ultimate goals in life.
8. Listen to soothing music.
Listening to classical, or smooth jazz music can help not only keep you focused but also let your mind and body relax, keeping you from getting stressed in the future.
9. Write down all of the good things that happen to you.
Writing down all of the good things that happen to you can help you in the moments that you are stressed, or sad. Having these ready to read in these times of need can remind you that your life truly is good, and serves as a reminder that you deserve to live.
10. Switch out coffee for herbal or green tea.
Coffee has a much higher caffeine content than tea, making you more jittery, and actually reduces your energy levels, in comparison to tea. Not to mention, tea also has numerous health benefits that coffee does not provide for you such as antioxidants.
11. Spend time outside every day.
Spending time in nature and getting fresh air clears your mind and helps you think, and also has a calming, meditative effect. Being in nature also gives you an energy boost that you cannot receive by being indoors.
12. Eat dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate increases levels of cortisol as well as your "fight or flight" hormones making you more aware of what is occurring around you, as well as making you happy and ultimately reducing stress.
13. Disconnect from technology.
Technology produces chemical waves that interfere with numerous bodily functions such as brain waves, and how you sleep. It also disconnects you from the numerous things that may be stressing you out, such as drama with friends, the internet in general, or school work.
14. Take a break.
Disconnect from technology and other people. Spending time by yourself to figure out your life can be useful in both your organization process, and for your stress levels.
15. Learn to accept things you can't change.
Accepting things that you cannot change is the most important part of reducing stress. If you are going to have a panic attack, stressing about that panic attack just makes it worse. However, if you accept that you're going to have one, then you have one and get over it, without the added drama.
