Getting good grades is hard. Eating healthy and working out is hard. Having a healthy social life is hard. Fulfilling all of your responsibilities in jobs and clubs is hard. Making enough money to pay for rent and food and activities while being involved is hard. Doing it all at once can seem impossible, especially at this point in the semester. In honor of Stress Awareness Day on November 1st, I have created a list of actually helpful tips to get rid of different types of stress, even if it’s just for a few hours.
Stressed about getting homework done? Try listening to beta waves while you study. They are meant to calm your brain and help you focus. I’ve actually just recently started doing this and I have to say I didn’t expect it to help as much as it did. I feel a lot less distracted by my phone and other things while trying to get work done.
Too stressed to fall asleep? Try listening to alpha waves. These are like beta waves, but they are slower and are meant to calm your mind down so you can fall asleep. I have used this for a while now because I tend to worry about things and think about everything at night, but it gets me to stop thinking about anything and fall asleep much faster.
Stressed about eating healthy? Try bringing healthy but fulfilling snacks with you throughout the day. This will help you to avoid grabbing unhealthy snacks in a hurry or giving in to a craving. I usually have mixed nuts, protein bars or something like apple slices or celery and peanut butter with me. I buy in bulk and make ziploc snack packs at the beginning of the week so I can just grab it and go in the morning. The individual packs of peanut butter are a little more expensive than a jar but definitely worth the convenience.
Stressed about working out? Try the Sworkit or 7 Minute Workout apps. On Sworkit, you can choose short workouts designed on what you need (cardio, flexibility or strength) and pick how long you want the workout to be. Even if you just do 5-10 minutes, it’s better than doing nothing. I usually do them as study breaks so that I am doing something productive but also get a brain break. The 7 Minute Workout app is proven to be similar to a ‘complete body workout’ in just seven minutes, and they’re not wrong. If you do it once in the morning when you wake up and once before you go to bed, it is definitely beneficial to your health.
Stressed about time management? Try using a to-do list or sticky notes on your computer. I use the stickies app on my Mac and plan out my entire day the night before. It helps me to know everything that I have to do and everywhere I have to be. It definitely helps me stay on track and stay productive when I need to. I’ve made it a habit now and it’s super satisfying to be able to cross stuff off of my list throughout the day.
Stressed about responsibilities? Set a day of the week that will always be your ‘get shit done’ day. It could be at the beginning of the week or whenever you have a few more hours to focus on doing things. I don’t have class on Monday, but I still set at alarm to be up and doing things by 8am. Find a quiet place, pull out your to-do list and get as much done as possible. This relieves a lot of stress at the end of the week when I don’t have to rush to get four different things done by the deadline.
Stressed about friends? Whether it’s that you aren’t social enough, your friends ‘don’t like you’ or whatever stresses you out about it, be proactive. Be the one to initiate a coffee date or a hangout at the library to do homework together. I can tell you from experience that if you feel like your friends don’t reach out to you to hang out, they probably feel the same way about you. While I’m on this note, don’t compare your life to your friends’ lives on social media. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but comparing your study night to your friend’s night at the bar isn’t going to do you any good. I’m sure they are doing the same thing when they have to study but you are going out.
Stressed about having too much on your plate? Try reaching out to people for help. This is literally the story of my life. I’m really bad at saying no to people unless they are offering their help. Remember that there are always people willing to help you, and just a little help from someone can make your life a lot easier. I’ve started to get better at asking people for help and it has definitely made some of my most stressful days a lot easier.
Stressed about making rent? Try this saving trick. Whenever you spend money, try to spend cash. I have two reasons for this. 1. We are less likely to spend a lot of money when we can physically see how much money we are handing the cashier. When you hand them a card, $100 may not seem like a lot. When you hand the cashier 5 $20 bills, it seems like a lot more. 2. Every time you get change, save the $5 bills. Don’t spend a single $5 bill. Put them all in a jar and somewhere you won’t cheat and grab a few for lunch or coffee. You’ll be surprised how much you can save in a month by doing this.
Stressed about what you can and can’t accomplish? Try being kind to yourself. You are not God. You cannot control everything around you and you cannot do everything at once. As much as you want to be able to be in seven places at once, it’s just not possible. Accept that you cannot do everything and focus on what is important and what you can do. You are going to make mistakes because you are human, but those mistakes are not going to define the rest of your life. Keep your chin up, sunshine, because you are beautiful and worthy of happiness.
Stressed about having a breakdown? Try talking to someone. This could be a friend, a roommate, or a counselor. Find someone willing to listen and just vent. Even if you don’t want advice or don’t think they care enough to listen, just ask. There is someone out there willing to listen to everything you have to say. Sometimes, just being able to vent can be the best stress relief. UW has a great (ALSO FREE!) counseling service and you don’t even need an appointment. Their walk-in hours are Monday-Friday 10-11:30am and 1-3:30pm. I have actually gone in for a walk-in visit on the way back to from class and I didn’t have a long wait at all. They were super kind and helpful and just being able to talk to someone who genuinely wanted to listen was very relieving.
If you or someone you know is experiencing an urgent problem and needs to talk to someone immediately, PLEASE call 1-800-273-8255, no matter the time or day of the week.