It’s already December, which means finals are approaching. Between schoolwork, friends, family and extracurricular activities, things are starting to get extremely stressful. Here are eight helpful ways to relax during stressful times:
1. Try box breathing.
Box breathing is a great and effective way to reduce stress. You can do it anywhere, at any time. Breathe in deeply for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, and slowly breathe out for four seconds. Keep doing this until your body feels relaxed.
2. Do some yoga.
If you can’t join a yoga club or go to a yoga class, just look up some yoga poses online (https://yoga.com/poses) and grab a mat. (If you don’t have a mat, a towel will work perfectly fine!). Go ahead…find your inner peace. It also might be possible to get a few friends to do it with you!
3. Go to the gym.
You will look good and feel better!
4. Paint your nails.
This one is pretty easy. Grab a cute color and paint away!
5. Listen to music.
Make a playlist with some of your favorite songs that you can listen to when things are getting crazy. Research shows that music reduces stress, so have a playlist filled with your favorite tunes ready for when you need a quick break.
6. Have (safe) sex!
Studies show that sex is a great stress reliever, so go have some fun!
7. Watch one episode on Netflix.
Watching TV can be a good way to get away from the stress, but make sure that you limit yourself so you don’t waste your day!
8. Hike the Sleeping Giant.
Even though it’s getting cold out, taking a hike up our beautiful mountain will give you fresh air and will help clear your head.
What kinds of things do you do to reduce your stress levels when times get crazy? Tweet us your favorite techniques @hercampusqu!