How to deal with stress/anxiety as finals approach

By Ana Cristina

There comes a point in all of our college careers where we become tired, exhausted and doubting if this is really what we even want to do. Beyond school, we also deal with the stresses and unpredictability of life in general. Although we deal with stress, this does not have to be the end of us. Here are ways to deal with stress:

Exercise

Exercising is the physical way to release mental energy. Not only is it good for you, it also gives you the energy to trek through hard times. Exercising at least 2-4 times a week will help you sleep better, study with more focus, and release endorphins to help you feel good about yourself.

So take a long walk, lift some weights, dance to your favorite songs, they all help to de-stress you and keep in shape.

Eat healthier

Small changes make a big difference. Start with replacing soda for water, and eating vegetables for snacks. If you absolutely cannot bring yourself to change your diet, try starting with portion control. For example, instead of drink 3 cans of sodas a day, drink only one, or instead of eating a whole bacon cheeseburger, try eating only half.

Food is fuel and the body is not able to work at it full capacity if you just eat high fat, processed foods all of the time. It is okay to indulge once in a while but don’t make it a habit.

Find an outlet

Take a dance class, learn archery, and begin knitting. Find a hobby that helps you get away from all of the stresses of your world.

Taking up a new hobby will help you to learn a skill and to meet new people. Not only you will learn a new skill, it will build the confidence in you to take on your workload.

Confide in someone

If the stress/anxiety is getting to be too much for you, please confide in someone.

You may not need advice, or want others to know of your struggles, but talking it out helps you to manage. Talk to a friend, a family member, or if the problem is a little more severe, talk to a psychologist. Most universities offering counseling services “for free”(you are probably paying for it in you tuition) so take advantage of it!

There are people who love you and are more than willing to lift the weight of the world off your shoulders, even just for a brief moment.

Forgive yourself

The stress that is collected within us is sometimes caused because we aren’t unable to let go of past mistakes. When it comes to that, the only thing you can do is reflect, forgive yourself and move on. Have no regrets and with every event that we encounter, make sure to learn from it so that the same mistakes will not happen again.

In life, it is not only how we manage, but how we adapt.