Woman with her head in her hands surrounded by illustrations of stress.
Did you know that April is Stress Awareness month? Managing stress and increasing healthy coping skills are some of the major challenges to maintaining a positive mental health outlook. There can be many different causes of stress; however, we would like to provide some different ideas you can try to relieve some of the common college stressors like juggling your school life with your home life, papers or exams, or pressure of balancing your study time with everything else.
Here are some great suggestions:
- Try your best to manage your time well – setting aside specific times for tasks and taking breaks, even 10-minute breaks, can be extremely beneficial
- Be active – Whether it be dancing, weight lifting, or just kicking a ball around, if you get your body moving, it will help
- Be mindful – Whether you just simply close your eyes for a moment, mediate, stretch, or take some deep breaths, you will find these activities can ease your mind
- Consistently, and without fail, check in with yourself, ask yourself how you are feeling. Be considerate of yourself and what you are thinking
- Find something that makes you laugh – whether it is a meme, a YouTube video, or a friend, search out those things that make you chuckle
- Find some inspiring music and listen to it on repeat, if necessary
- Search out inspiring quotes, write them down and place them near you
- Talk to someone, let people know how you are feeling
- Go out into nature, fresh air can do wonders
- Volunteer with a local organization, helping others can help you
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).
It is vital that you manage stress in your life and not let the stress become too much. Sometimes stress-relievers like the ones above just won’t do the trick. And, if you still need additional help, PLEASE TELL SOMEONE.
Asking for help with the challenges you face can be difficult and can seem overwhelming, but there are people who can assist you. There are a number of resources available to help with stress and feeling overwhelmed; options include life coaches, support groups, and therapy. Finding the solution that fits best for you is imperative to maintaining positive mental health. You can find helpful contacts @ Healthcare Resources on my.baker.edu.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 6). Reduce stress in 10 minutes and improve your well-being. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/populationhealth/well-being/features/reduce-stress.htm
