Don’t Stress: 7 Ways to Chill Out

Credit: Pexels

It’s no secret that grad life is stressful. Much of your week is spent in class, and the work certainly does not end once you’re off campus. You may have to do an interview, organize a photoshoot, film a video project, or prepare a presentation.

Life as a graduate student is a struggle. You’re tired, you’re broke, and you’re always working on a deadline. Luckily, there are many ways to control stress so stress doesn’t control you.

Make To-Do Lists

To-Do list of a Magazine, Newspaper, and Online Journalism student. Credit: Stephanie Macrinos

It’s easy to lose track of assignments and due dates. Sometimes, the list of things that need to be done is so long you don’t know where to start. This is where to-do lists come in.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your course work, write everything down in a list. You could even go so far as to break down each assignment into separate steps. This breaks up your assignments into manageable, bite-sized pieces and helps you keep track of what needs doing and when.

When you finish a task, marked it off. Checkmark it, highlight it or give it a satisfyingly aggressive strikethrough–whatever you like. Watching those tasks disappear beneath your pen or highlighter will motivate you to keep working and stay on top of assignments. 

Exercise

Campus and downtown Syracuse are great places to take a de-stressing walk. Credit: Stephanie Macrinos

Dopamine, serotonin, “Exercise is good for you!” Blah blah blah. Well, it’s true. Getting your heart racing releases all kinds of hormones that make you happy, so try some exercise the next time you feel stressed.

You don’t have to go full Dwayne Johnson with your workout. Do whatever exercises you enjoy, even if it’s just going for a walk. There’s no shortage of parks and hiking trails to visit around Syracuse, and the Barnes Center has a fitness center to fit all your needs.

Meditate

 

Many people meditate outside, but you can meditate wherever you’re comfortable. Credit: Pixabay

Next time you find yourself tense and overwhelmed, find a comfortable place and just sit. Breathe. Close your eyes, or listen to music. Meditation helps you regulate your breathing and slows your heart rate, which allows you to relax and reduce feelings of stress. Healthline offers a list of benefits of meditation, including reduced anxiety and an increased attention span. 

Spend Time with Animals

Next time you’re stressed, pet a furry friend. Credit: Stephanie Macrinos

Many in the psychology field promote the benefits of spending time with animals. Cute, fuzzy things make us happy, so take some time to pet or play with a furry friend whenever you’re stressed out. If you don’t have a pet of your own, you can volunteer at local animal shelters or go visit some of the therapy animals at the Barnes Center.

Hang Out with Friends

There are plenty of places around Syracuse to hang out with friends. Credit: Pexels

Wallowing in your stress isn’t healthy, and it could lead to more emotional strain. Get out of your own head and spend some time with people who make you happy. Hanging out with friends will help distract you from overthinking and give you a chance to distance yourself from whatever is causing you stress.

It’s guaranteed that your classmates are stressed out as well, so get together and have a cleaning rant session.

Make Wise Time Management Decisions

It’s important to relax, but don’t abandon your responsibilities. Credit: Flickr

It’s easy to procrastinate and spend the day doing a Netflix deep-dive or fall into a YouTube clickhole. It’s also a sure-fire to stress yourself out.

It is important to prioritize downtime, but don’t fall into full-blown unproductive potato mode if you can’t afford to. Make sure you are on top of your assignments and don’t push things off until you’re scrambling to finish them.

The same applies to going out. It’s important to socialize and be with friends, but don’t blow a whole weekend on partying when you have some quickly approaching deadlines. 

Don’t Overload Your Schedule

You’re not a superhuman, so don’t take on too much. Credit: Flickr

Hustling is very much on-trend right now, but don’t let Instagram trick you into stretching yourself too thin. We all want things to pad our résumés, but be careful not to take on too many responsibilities. Piling too many extracurricular activities on top of course work is sure to lead to some major stress. Sign up for things, get more experience, but know your limits.