Everyone in college knows how stressful it can be. Between demanding classes, financial matters, maintaining a social life, participating in clubs and activities, being a part of Greek life, and trying to stay healthy, I often find myself overwhelmed, stressed, and wishing for more time in my day. However, I still try my best to remain positive and improve myself as much as possible. These are some of the things I do to maintain a healthy and positive mental space, as much as is practicable. Disclaimer: I do not always succeed in avoiding stress and practicing self-care activities like these every day. The point is to keep trying.
- Yoga
Practicing yoga regularly not only helps keep your body healthy, strong, and flexible, but it also helps your mind so much. When I step onto my yoga mat I know that I am in a safe space where I am free to focus on myself, my breath, and how I’m feeling and not worry about the outside world. Sometimes I do a calm, meditative yoga flow where the focus is more on mental wellbeing than physical exertion. Other times, I choose a yoga practice that will make my muscles shake and challenge me to push my physical limits. No matter what kind of yoga you practice, it has been proven to improve your body, mind, and the connection between the two. Not to mention that you’ll feel totally Zen afterward.
- Meditation
I know a lot of people feel very resistant to practicing meditation. A lot of people don’t think it’s for them because they don’t feel comfortable sitting still in quiet for a long period of time. I encourage you to lean into that discomfort and explore all meditation has to offer you. Whether you’re just sitting quietly by yourself for three minutes or you follow a 20-minute guided session, meditation can calm you down, lower your stress and anxiety levels, and give you a break from everything going on in your life. Like yoga, meditation is time that you can spend focusing on you, not the outside world.
- Artistic expression
Whether you want to draw, play music, color, write, sing, or dance, expressing yourself artistically can drastically help you decrease stress. Personally, I usually choose to either color, which helps me blow off steam and focus on something creative, or to write, which really helps me express what I’m going through without involving anyone else. The best part about artistically expressing yourself is that if you have a lot to get out, no one has to know. You can write anything you want, as dark or mundane as it might be, and no one ever has to see it. The same goes with any other form of art. You can just do it for your own purposes, and you don’t have to share it with the world.
- Alone time
This is possibly the most important item on this list. Especially if you’re one of my fellow introverts (but even if you aren’t), you need some alone time. As much fun as it is to participate in many clubs, and maybe Greek life if you’re so inclined, and keep up with friends and family, you also have to maintain your mental health. Taking some time alone to go for a walk, watch some YouTube, or eat a fun snack can reduce stress levels greatly and improve your mood. If you’re like me and sometimes struggle to avoid people long enough to get some alone time, schedule out time for yourself. Decide definitively that for a certain amount of time you’re going to be alone and then do it. If you’re in your room, lock the door. Maybe even turn out the lights. If anyone tries to reach out to you, gently explain that you have work to do and need to be alone right now. They’ll understand.
Take care of yourself, maintain a healthy balance, and everything will fall into place.
