20 Ways to Relieve Stress in College

Finals Week is coming up soon guys! Here at William Woods we have about 3 weeks before finals week and the pressure is already here for some of us and is coming for the rest of us. So we decided to give you guys some ideas of how we relieve stress in college (and most of them are for low budget college students too!)

1. Paint your nails! - You don’t have to go to some fancy salon and pay 
      a bunch of money. Pull out a few bottles of nail polish, invite some friends over and do each other’s nails. Or have some alone time and do them yourself while watching Gilmore girls or listening to your favorite music!

2. Give yourself a facial – There are so many ‘recipes’ for DIY facials on Pinterest and if you don’t want to make your own they sell them at the dollar store for a buck. Pick yourself up one and relax in bed while the mask does its magic.

3.  Have a Game night – You don’t have to plan anything big or have board games stashed in your closet. You can play games like 20 questions, 5 things I didn’t know about you, or 2 truths and a lie. Or you can play card games with a deck of cards someone has lying around. So gather up your friends and make a Friday night of it.

4.  Read a book – yeah, I know, I know you are reading all the time for school and you don’t want to read anymore. But go to the local library or the pleasure reading part of the school library and find a book you’ve always wanted to read, or a classic, or something new you want to try reading.

5. Have a dance party – you can party like me and literally choreograph a dance to perform (it’s the dancer in me), you can party like Aly who waits to be by herself and locks the door and parties by herself, or you can get some friends, play some fun music and have some fun.

6. Listening to music from the 90's - There are many songs out there that are slowly being forgotten. I was born in 1997 and I enjoy finding and listening to the bands many people have forgotten about. One of my favorites is ‘Everybody’ from BackStreet Boys and many more.

7. Locking the door and sitting in the dark thinking of book ideas - This to me is like day dreaming and escaping the real world and all of the problems from it. I want to write a book one day and this is a great way, at least for me, to de-stress. (to other people this could be called napping)

8. Write poems - I like writing poems; I can express myself through all emotions so when I am stressed out I can always go to writing a poem. It doesn’t have to be good at all, as long as the stress is fading away and you can write how you feel.

9. Painting - I like to paint, and I’m not very good at it, but by painting I get lost from all of my problems and the stress fades away. This can become an expensive stress reliever if you don’t watch it carefully.

10.  Baking- I love to bake and try out new recipes that I find online, or I modify older one, or I generate my own. This is an expensive stress reliever for me. I mostly do that in the summer when I have access to an oven and stove top at home. Stress eating is not a good thing to get into with this habit, but baking and giving it to somebody else makes me feel like a great person.

11. Watching Netflix - Watch movies or TV series of any kind have always helped college student’s hard time, such as after a hard test or just a stressful day at college. As for me I have recently liked to watch Gilmore girls with my roomie Lacey when I get back from my classes.

12.  Writing fiction stories - Writing story is something that can be relaxing after a test because it allows you to write a lot of fun or silly things that help to relax you but also helps to stimulate your brain cells. It has helped me after a hard test.

13.  Listening to Music - Music is a worldwide past time that throughout the years has helped a lot of people though stress in college. All genre of music can help people relax after a hard day of classes.

14. Stress Lotion/Essential Oils - Using de-stress lotion or diffusing various essential oils in your room can help you relax. Some essential oils are designed to improve clarity and eliminate stress!

  15. Horseback Riding/Pet the Horses - There is nothing more soothing than a stroll around the barn and petting horses! (for some of us, anyway). Getting lost in the barn or having a quick ride can make you forget all your troubles for a while.

16. Getting off Campus - A change of scene can work wonders. A car ride is a good opportunity for some alone time, or having a good time with friends in a new setting.

  17. Exercising/Being Active - Exercise pumps up your endorphins and makes you feel good about yourself! Then it can make you tired and set you up for a nice relaxing nap.

  18. Go for a Nature Walk - Let the calm sounds of nature, sunshine on your face and breeze in your hair distract the stress away!

  19. Go eat at a New Location - New setting + Yummy non-cafeteria food + Friends = A good, stress-free time.

20. Call your Parents/Family/Friends - A positive conversation with people from home can make both your day and theirs.

What do you do to de-stress in college?

~Friends at the Woods