It’s that time of year again: the winding down of the semester and the nearing of finals week. I cannot believe that the semester is already coming to an end! Below are a few of my personal de-stressing mechanisms:
- Work out for at least 20-30 minutes. The EMU Fitness Center has great equipment, ranging from cardio to weight lifting. You could even go on youtube to look for yoga videos and do yoga in the privacy of your own home!
- Invest in purchasing a stress ball! For DIY-ers, here’s a link to make your own stress ball!
- Color: No one is too old to color. You can purchase a coloring book(Barnes&Noble even has coloring books for adults!) or paint/color your own original piece of art.
- If coloring is not for you, try another art form such as writing poetry, singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument or simply listen to your favorite musical selections!
- Read a book (or magazine) for fun!
- Go shopping aka retail therapy!
- Gratitude journal: I recently read an article in a magazine about people keeping a gratitude journal. In this journal, you document all the good things that happened to you during the week, day, and/or month; try to avoid writing “venting” entries.
- Take a quick 20 minute nap or try out a coffee nap!
- Watch 1 T.V. show before you start studying
- Play a video game!
- Make a phone call to a family member or friend!
- Take a relaxing,soothing shower
- For those of us who like painting our nails, treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure either by doing it yourself or going to a salon/spa.
- This goes back to tip 1: Go for a walk and breathe in the fresh air. We are fortunate that EMU has many walking paths on campus and the added bonus of beautiful natural scenery.
- Clean your room or living space: When I do this, I feel the chaos has been reduced because everything is put back into place.
- Drink a cup of warm tea: I feel so relaxed after having a cup of green tea with honey!
- Eat a piece of candy! (Personal preference: dark chocolate!)
I hope you find these tips helpful! Remember to not give up (we are so close to the finish line) and finish strong! Good luck!!!