With classes online and finals beginning, it can be difficult to manage your stress as a college student. Having a little bit of stress is always good for motivation, but there is definitely a balance for what is considered “good stress” and what can just burn you out. We interviewed a few Ohio State students to see what they do to relax and any advice they may have. From Derek, a Finance major, to Ally, a Biochemistry major, to Abbey, a French and Criminology major, we have students from across the board wanting to share their experiences and advice!
Their Best Tips for Handling Stress
The students’ number one tip was to take a break from work in some form—whether that be taking five-minute breaks frequently like Ally or taking a hot shower and pampering yourself like Abbey. Jacqueline, a Sports Industry major, made a great point by saying that being incredibly stressed while trying to push yourself to study will only take a toll on you. You must put your personal wellness first.
While it would be great if we could take long breaks often, most of the time people can’t—whether it be due to a short break between classes or needing to get a lot done in a short amount of time. The best advice students gave was to find a way to center yourself and be in the moment. Alyssa, a Nutrition major, loves using guided breathing videos on YouTube while Derek uses an app on his phone for guided meditation. Taylor, a Business/Economics major, loves to do an interesting activity where she uses all her senses and thinks about what she hears, smells, tastes, and feels in the moment to ground herself.
If you have an hour available to take a break, try getting active outside or creating a relaxing environment for yourself. For relaxation, Derek loves watching his favorite TV show and Abbey loves taking a quick nap to recharge. Alternatively, Abbey says that if a nap isn’t what she’s feeling then dancing in her room can also lift her mood. Alyssa, Taylor, and Ally also said something similar and love working out if they have the time and energy.
No matter how busy you are it’s always important to spend a few hours a week away from school. For half–day stress reducing activities, one main thing students said they loved to do was meet with friends or go off campus. Derek, Ally, and Jacqueline love getting food with friends around campus and Alyssa said she loves going shopping with friends if they have the time. Along with this, Abbey loves going to farmer’s markets and antique shops on weekends and Taylor loves finding something on Pinterest to paint.
Overall, these students have some great activities they love to do. Whether that means seeing friends or doing a hobby alone, they’ve each found what works for them and helps bring balance to their life. If there’s anything to be learned from this article, it’s that you don’t have to do what everyone else does or push yourself to the edge. It’s all about finding what works for you and bringing balance to your life.
PS- While it’s always good to major in something you enjoy, no matter what you choose there will be hardships that come your way. Finding what makes you relax and enjoying the present moment will make those hardships much easier to bear!
By Ava Dong, Stress Wellness Ambassador
Resources:
- The 8 Best Meditation Apps of 2020, VeryWell Mind https://www.verywellmind.com/best-meditation-apps-4767322
- Experience Columbus Blog https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/blog/
- Columbus on the Cheap https://www.columbusonthecheap.com/