Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Lose the Freshman 15: STRESS!

 

Hey Collegiettes!

STRESS! That is a word we are all familiar with, some more than others. Well right now I am feeling it.

Tomorrow I have a Statistics mid term and I don’t know about you, but I am NOT a math person. Also, I am signed up for a local race on Saturday. I will be running a 7k and I am nervous and excited. It is the farthest race I have ever done and I have only run that distance once. For those of you that don’t know, a 7k is 4.31 mi and the longest I have ever run is 4.8, ONCE. So here is hoping that goes well.

One thing we tend to do when stressed is turn to food. I know I have done it in the past and I caught myself doing it today. I was studying math and found myself reaching for Tricuits and Popcorn (gotta love crunchy carbs!). Thankfully I was able to realize what I was doing and put everything away! I then popped in a piece of gum in my mouth and took a shower. Having a clean mouth and a clean body made me feel fresh and new. I took it one step further and looked on SELF’s website for some relaxing moves I could do and I ended up doing a set of Jillian’s Toning Yoga Poses. I am glad to know when I get frazzled and feel like life is a little overwhelming, at least SELF’s Jump Start Diet is under control and has structure! 

My advice to you when you find yourself starting to snack a lot is to stop and breathe. PUT DOWN THE FOOD and find out what is the trigger of these feelings. When I stopped I realized I was just stressed with all my responsibilities and zoning out in front of my computer, popcorn in hand, was how I wanted to escape. Find the trigger and tend to it. I knew all I could do was try to study, but to refresh, I took a shower.

For a break I suggest:

  • Chat with a friend- face to face is best for me.
  • Take a hot bath
  • Write it out- Write your feelings in a journal, or like me, in a word document
  • Do some yoga or ab moves- Productive and relaxing!
  • Watch a show on Hulu.com- but just ONE!

Alright, well I can only avoid studying for so long. So back to statistics for me!

Let me know what you guys do to relieve stress!

Happy studying!

xx Jessica

Jessica is currently studying Graphic Design and Psychology at UC Davis. She hopes to one day move to New York and work for a fashion or fitness magazine. When she is not dreaming about her life in New York, she is either running, watching shows on hulu, socializing or baking cupcakes. She loves anything that will make her laugh, sunny days  and everything purple!