Students constantly undergo extreme pressure due to having to manage extracurriculars, grades, relationships, and identities. Often, without healthy coping strategies, they find quick, unhealthy ways to relieve stress, such as binge eating or vaping, or bottling up their piling emotions. However, there are numerous healthy,effective ways to deal with stress that students should try.
As the weather becomes cooler, it might already be tempting to have a hot drink. This is a temptation that you should give in to: hot drinks actually have many stress-relieving effects. Warm drinks activate the parasympathetic nervous system, calming down both our body and mind, according to the Healing Springs Wellness Center. In addition, the physical sensation of holding a warm beverage creates a feeling of comfort.
I would specifically recommend herbal tea. Herbal teas only require hot water and a tea bag, and different kinds of teas contain a variety of compounds that effectively calm us down. Chamomile tea contains apigenin, which helps with anxiety by binding to receptors in the brain, and lavender tea contains the compound linalool, which stabilizes mood and alleviates symptoms of stress. So, as your anxiety sets in due to your big exam tomorrow, remember to prepare a mug of hot herbal tea to help reduce your anxious feelings.
In addition, listening to music can help you relax. John Hopkins Medicine has stated that “listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.” Listening to upbeat music can help make you more alert; conversely, listening to soft and soothing music helps you become relaxed.
Research through the NIH has shown that listening to slow music, around 60 beats per minute, leads to alpha brainwaves associated with relaxation. However, your chosen music should be music that you enjoy, or it will have no positive effects.
If you’re not a huge fan of classical music, try lo-fi, acoustic guitar, or soft ambient music and sounds. You can even find instrumental covers of your favorite songs online, and pair them with thunderstorm and rain sounds for an enhanced relaxing experience.
It may sometimes seem like a hassle to exercise daily, and exercising often is what individuals first skip out on when they have a stressful day. However, exercise does have well-established stress relief-related benefits that are independent of the intensity and type of exercise.
Even a quick ten-minute cardio workout before studying can significantly reduce stress, through releasing mood-boosting endorphins and reducing levels of stress-inducing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, according to Harvard Health.
In addition to chemical effects, working out provides a distraction from worrying thoughts and boosts self-esteem over time. If you’re in need of a quick exercise to relieve stress during a busy day, it may be best to try walking, jogging, stretching, yoga, or cardio.
In addition, it’s easy to fall victim to staying up until 3 a.m. the day before a test, cramming aggressively, or scrolling through social media to distract yourself. Although it sounds cliché, it’s important to realize that sleeping is incredibly important to both ensure your best performance the next day and help manage your stress.
During sleep, the body releases stress-causing hormones and improves cognitive function. According to the American Psychological Association, teens who sleep fewer than eight hours per night report higher levels of stress.
Everyone gets stressed, and it’s often frustrating to feel overwhelming anxiety without a way to relieve it. Using these methods, you can relax and unwind on even your hardest days.
