College is one of the most stressful times of your life, and it can seem completely overwhelming. Between loads of schoolwork, social pressures, and being away from home, many college students feel completely consumed by stress and anxiety. Stress is a natural reaction to hard situations, but it takes a huge toll on our emotional and physical wellbeing. If you don’t find a way to relieve stress, you could face many physical and mental health problems. Here are some of the things I do when life gets too crazy:

1. Go for a run

Nothing clears my mind more than a nice long run. There's something about running with a good music playlist that just makes everything seem less overwhelming. Running gives you time to yourself, to think about whatever’s stressing you out and see things more clearly. Your brain also releases dopamine when you run, so you’ll be in a better mood all day.

2. Light a candle

Sometimes living away from home can feel lonely and stressful, I have found that lighting a good candle can make a room so much more comfortable and relaxing. If you can’t have candles in your dorm, wax melters do the trick.

3. Practice yoga

There’s a reason yoga is always praised as a way to relieve stress, it really does work! Most schools offer free or discounted yoga classes to students and you really will notice so many positive effects. If you can’t make it to an actual class, there are so many great yoga channels on youtube (I recommend Boho Beautiful and Yoga by Adrian).

4. Clean your room

Whenever my room is a mess I feel like my life is a mess, keeping a clean room is very important for feeling relaxed and happy. Even if everything else in your life seems overwhelming, cleaning and organizing your bedroom will give you some peace of mind.

5. Treat Yourself

It doesn’t hurt to indulge every once in a while, so go ahead and treat yourself to something that makes you happy. Whether it be a nice iced latte or a new outfit, do something nice for yourself.

6. Spend time with friends

When you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, isolating yourself in the library or your room is the worst thing to do. Spend some time with your friends to let loose and laugh a bit, your friends will be sure to cheer you up.

7. Drink a cup of Tea

Next time you feel overwhelmed and stressed, drink a nice warm cup of tea. I can guarantee that you’ll feel instantly more relaxed and level headed. There are many different types of teas that are known to have a calming effect.

Music is known to make you feel happier, so blast your favorite song whenever you’re feeling stressed. If you want to be a little extra, blast music and dance around like nobody's watching!

9. Sleep!

I know pulling an all-nighter may seem like the only option when you have a huge exam coming up, but it is not worth it. Lack of sleep is so terrible for your psychological and physical well-being. You will probably do even worse on your exam if you stay up all night because your brain won’t be functioning properly. So, if you feel exhausted and stressed, listen to your body and take a snooze.