College Journey #9: The Winter Stretch & Stress Reduction

College Journey is a monthly post where I either talk about my own personal experience or some tips about college itself.  Last month I talked about when college isn't right for you.  This week I'm talking about the hardest part of the year (at least, that's what people have told me, and I believe them)- the dead of winter.

So, this year has actually been a really mild winter for me (I live in the midwest) and it actually feels a bit like spring lately.  Still, it seems like the days are dragging by and sometimes I'm barely hanging on, I'm so stressed out.  I talked about this a little in my weekly wrap up, but I was so stressed out that my side was actually hurting.  I've come up with some things you can do to help lower your stress:

Music

I, for one, really rely on music to relax.  My music is an expression of who I am, and I'm very picky about it.  I'm also one of those people who likes to listen to the same song(s) on indefinite repeat.  So, Thursday night, I plugged earbuds in, and listened to the Wicked soundtrack on repeat.  It was really nice and let me just zone out.

Coloring

Adult coloring books are all the rage, and man are they nice.  I have the Enchanted Forest coloring book here with me and the Harry Potter coloring book at home (I'm saving it for the summer when I reread the series for the first time since the movies came out).  I love coloring, it's really relaxing, and when you finish, you feel like you've created an original masterpiece.  I just use markers, but anything looks good with these designs.  Plus, they really aren't that expensive for the quality.

Reading and Writing

Well, duh, of course I'm going to recommend this.  They're both really good if you just need to escape the real world for a bit.  I always relax when I'm reading, even if it's a sad or extreme part of the story.  It's nice to live in another world and deal with problems that aren't your own.

Friends

Personally, I'm an introvert, so hanging out with friends actually makes me a bit more stressed.  But, for all you extrovert's out there, this is a great way to just heal and take a breather.

TV

This is another one that doesn't really work for me because, as much as I enjoy tv, it's harder for me to lose focus on the world around me when I'm just staring at the screen.  A close friend of mine, though, uses this as her main way to get rid of stress and it works really good for her.

Take a Break

I was so stressed out I just skipped class (I know, I'm a horrible person!) and didn't let myself think about homework for a whole day.  Do you know what?  It was one of the best days I've had in a while.  I'm one of those people who feels super stressed out when they skipped class, so I actually attended one (of my three) and it helped.  It made it feel less like I wasn't getting anything done and more like I was just giving myself a well-deserved break.

I hope this helps!  It's not just college advice, really, but a way to help reduce stress.  If you have anything that really helps you, let me know in the comments!