The end of the semester is always the busiest and most stressful time of the year, and right now, we are at the beginning of the end. The freezing weather and shorter days do nothing to help students growing exhaustion and stress, but we have to keep going! Sometimes stress can be a good thing; it can push a student to finish his or her work on time. Sometimes the added adrenaline from stress can help improve performance, but stress can also be very taxing and make it harder to do work. The campus Peer Counselors have some ideas about how to help decrease stress so that you can get back on track during this busy time.

“When I am dealing with a lot of stress, my tendency is to go outdoors and clear my head,” Ella Powers, ‘22, said.

Next time you need to de-stress, consider stopping by the gym, going for a run on Woods Creek Trail or just taking a moment to sit on the Colonnade. Working your body instead of your mind is one of the best ways to relieve stress.

Powers tries to do different things to help with her stress level, keeping in mind what she has time to do.

“If I am really stressed and cannot spare much time, I will try to take just 10 seconds to write down things I’m grateful for that day. It can really help to put things into perspective and lighten my mood!” she said.

It is also helpful to make a list of things you need to do everyday, even if they don’t relate to schoolwork. When you have done something on your list you can just cross it off! Feeling accomplished is a powerful thing.

“Take it one day at a time,” Hannah Reed, ‘21,  says. “I try not to think about the overwhelming amount of homework over the course of the whole week, and instead, I think about what is due first and I accomplish everything one at a time. Before you know it, you’ve made a large dent in your work!”

Reed also recommends taking the time to listen to your body’s needs and eat when you need to. Hunger can make stress boil over and just cause more problems – if you eat something your body will thank you and you will be able to focus more on being productive.

As your peer counselors, we know that this is the busiest time of the year, but please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us to talk about stress or anything else that might be on your mind. We are here for you, and want you to be your happiest and healthiest self whenever possible. If you are feeling really, really stressed and just cannot shake the feeling for a long period of time, please get in contact with the Counseling Center; their professional help will get you back on track!