Stress. It affects all of us. Students. Adults. Everyone. I know that we all have it, but have we ever thought about ways to reduce or cope with the inevitable stress in our lives? Lucky for you, I have thought about it, and am here to present to you 5 easy ways to reduce stress in your life.
1. Clean out social media.
Social media is great to keep up with your friends and family, especially when you live far away or are in college, but how many times have you been scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, etc. and said something like, "ugh this person always complains," or "I don't know why I'm friends with this person," or any other negative thought? Simple fix. Unfriend, unfollow, mute, or even block these people. We spend so much of our free time aimlessly scrolling online to keep up with everyone, why should we make that time worse by having our timelines filled with negativity? It may be a time consuming process, but you can't even imagine the impact it will have.
2. Find an escape.
We bottle up all the stress in our lives, but what do we do to release it? If you like reading, take time to read books. If you find exercise a good way to relieve stress, make time to work out. Do any activity that takes your mind of work, school, or anything else in life that is bringing you down and causing you to feel negatively. Maybe even just writing down how you feel in a journal or a blog will be a way to release those feelings. Even if it's just writing a couple of lines at night before you go to bed.
3. Don't be afraid to say no.
I know I can't be the only one that has trouble with this one. People ask me to hang out or pick up a shift at work or go out and I feel like I have to say yes to keep everyone happy. You don't have to say yes to every invitation to do everything. If you don't feel like doing something, don't do it. If you want to stay inside and watch Netflix and eat popcorn in your underwear all night, do it. Your friends won't hold it against you if you say no to plans and you won't have to go through the stress of being pulled in ten different directions because of your inability to decline an invite.
4. If you need a break, take a break.
This is another important one. Need a mental health day? Take one. Need a vacation. Take one. People all the time say, "but I can't miss work." Guess what? The work will still be there when you get back. "But I can't miss my class." Get the notes from someone and make up any work you missed. Sometimes we just get so overwhelmed with the amount of stuff going on in our lives that the best way to cope is to take a break. (Obviously don't make too much of a habit out of this one because you don't want to lose your job, but one day every once in a while won't hurt.)
5. Write down 3 things you enjoy doing, but don't have time for. Make time for them.
I'm actually stealing this exercise from a professor I had last semester. She said, "everyone take out a sheet of paper and write your three most favorite activities in the whole world." We all did, then she asked, "how many of you feel like you don't do these as much as you want to?" In this lecture hall of about 150 students, almost all of us raised our hands. She gave us simple directions after that, "if you love doing these things, do them." Then came the excuses from everyone, "but I don't have time," "but I'm trying to get into grad school," "but I have work and school and extra curriculars." Again, she replied, "if you love doing these things, do them." Simple.
Implementing all of these will change how you live your day to day life. You'll begin to feel less stressed and more relaxed. Obviously stress is a part of life, but finding ways to reduce it and cope with it should also be part of life. So as a starting point, I suggest you pick one or two from the list. Then maybe revisit it and pick another. Then eventually work your way up to all 5. I believe in you. Do it.
