How to de-stress yourself before finals
television, tea, and time off (eventually)
by pixabay user unsplash
Practice self care, everyone!
Midterms, assignments, and finals are upon us. As is student stress. Now that it’s November, we felt we should help our fellow students with the immense amount of pressure and stress that they may be feeling, whether it’s from school or otherwise. One thing students seem to forget it to always put themselves first. Don’t get me wrong, I understand. It’s tough out there worrying about school, bills, if you have them, family, and friends… all at the same time. Some days it might feel simply unreasonable to ask yourself, “How am I doing? Am I okay? Do I need taking care of in any way?” It’s totally fine to ask for help if you need or want it, but when you’d rather pull the blankets over your head and watch Netflix than talk to people about what’s bugging you, sometimes all you have is yourself.
Hopefully we can help with this list of relaxing and healthy activities you can do to take your mind off the stresses of the semester, even if it’s just for a little bit. They may seem pretty obvious, but they’re fun activities regardless. Remember, you are what matters, and if you aren’t taking care of yourself, it’s pretty rough to try and balance everything.
Without further ado:
Drink some tea: If you’re not a tea person, it’s cool to skip this recommendation and head for the next one! But if you’re a fan, here’s a list of super nice teas that you can enjoy after a crappy day of living life. Some of the staff writer’s favourites are David’s Tea’s Glitter and Gold (even if it doesn’t actually glitter anymore), Cuppa T’s Dream Dancer, Celestial’s True Blueberry, and David’s Tea’s Detox. Their Cream of Earl Grey is always a classic, too! We, along with most others, always find that a warm drink instantly makes you feel cozy, relaxed, and your mind will feel clearer, to boot. Soup or hot chocolate are good alternatives for anyone who doesn’t really like tea.
Dance around in your house: Put on headphones, blast Beyoncé, and pretend you’re one of her backup dancers! Or put on a sweeping orchestral score, grab a shampoo bottle, and pretend you’ve won an Oscar in front of your bathroom mirror: “You like me! You really like me!” … Don’t be embarrassed. We’ve all done it. It’s a pretty good confidence booster!
Movies/Netflix Binging: Comedies and Disney seem to be pretty solid go-to’s. But if you’re not really a fan of either, that’s cool, too. Sometimes, even if it’s a sad/dramatic/gory/ridiculous movie, anime, or show, if it’s your favourite, it’s going to cheer you up. Some of my recommendations are: Brave, even if it makes this staff writer sob like an infant, anything Monty Python, Big Hero 6, something tried and true that everyone can quote, like Mean Girls, or even The Runaways, because Kristen Stewart is hot, okay? If you haven’t seen it, you’ll thank us later.
Hanging out with good pals: This is pretty straightforward, but who better to cheer you up and put you back on track than some positive people who want to see you succeed? Family, friends, and pets are a great option if you don’t want to be by yourself and need some reassurance that things are going to be okay.
Of course, amidst all of the stress, don’t forget to actually do your work. But remember to always, always, always take care of yourself first. At the risk of sounding like a motivational poster, the Carillon would like to wish you good luck with the rest of your semester, and remind you to take it easy as much as you can.
Editor’s note: I started watching Aziz Ansari’s new series, Master of None on Sunday night and it’s an excellent way to kill time. Also take advantage of St. John’s Ambulance and the university’s stress dog program. You are paying for it, you may as well go hug some nice dogs on a Tuesday morning.
