Ways to Relieve Stress

In a previous post, I discussed ways to take care of your own mental health while still taking care of your schoolwork. However, there's plenty of ways to take care of your mental health outside of school and extracurriculars. While doing small things like lighting a scented candle and grabbing a snack can help your mental sanity while studying, sometimes it's necessary to take a break from your responsibilities and clear your mind. 

One of my favorite things to do is go on a run, especially when the weather is nice out. On the right, pictured is my cross country team. Being able to run every day with them and joke around is such a great break from the constant stress of schoolwork, deadlines, etc. However, understandably, running is not everyone's thing but most people tend to feel refreshed, more motivated, and generally better after exercising/working out. There are so many ways to get moving, whether that be shooting a couple of hoops outside, spiking a volleyball in your yard, or following a HIIT workout video from Youtube. Other than the usual 2 hours of my day dedicated to cross country/running (which serves as my main way to blow off steam), I love to play a round of Just Dance or literally just jam out to music in the safety of my room. Getting some movement in is definitely a great way to wake yourself up after a long study session and clear your mind, leading to better results when you return to that computer to finish your 5-page long essay. 

For some people, exercise just doesn't produce that feeling of relief and burst of endorphins that others experience. That's completely okay--everyone has different ways of coping and it's essential to find a healthy coping mechanism for your stress to take care of your mental health and wellbeing. Some other things that I've found myself doing during this quarantine to keep myself sane include drawing, talking to friends through Zoom, and even just taking a quiet moment to reflect and meditate. Taking a moment for yourself away from the stress of school, drama, college, etc., can be so beneficial for you to reset and allows you to return to your responsibilities/work in a level-headed and more content manner as opposed to a frazzled, sleep-deprived version of you.