4 Ways I Manage Stress

There has been a lot of things going on for me in the past couple weeks.  Grades just closed last week so of course there were about 5 million finals, tests, quizzes, and projects due.  I was trying to work out doing both the spring musical and the drama guild's show for competition.  It was getting especially stressful when my father kept telling me to narrow down my college choices and I hadn't even started to look.  It was hell.  I had no time to do anything so i kept staying up too late and not eating well enough.  So on top of everything, I got sick.  Like really sick.  Like 100+ degree fevers.  I was out of school for a week.  It was literal hell.  So in light of all this, I decided to make a post about how I manage all this stress.

1. Netflix

Netflix is the best.  Whenever I get stressed out I love to take a step back, relax, and watch a couple episodes of some of my favorite shows (provided I have the time).  I always find myself watching Portlandia or Doctor Who as a get away from normal life.  I really like watching comedic and science fiction-y shows.  I love to laugh.  Laughing is a great way to relax and let go so shows like Portlandia are great to watch.  Sci-fi shows are also great to watch as they let you escape your own problems and worry about other nonexistent problems.  Doctor Who is perfect for a sci-fi get away because there are just SO many interesting episodes.  

2. Naps

I feel like I might have said this before but I really like naps.  Sleeping is so nice and it is probably my favorite thing to do when I get stressed out.  Whenever I finally finish part of an assignment I just lay down for a solid 15 minutes and then I try to get up and tackle the next part.  It's pretty awesome and super relaxing.

3.  Tea 

Whenever I get stressed, I basically replace coffee with tea.  It's a lot more calming and I've found that it helps me focus a lot better.  Coffee is a great energy booster, but sometimes I just need to chill so I can actually focus on what I'm doing.  I always like to have a mug of tea nearby while I work on essays.

4.  Music

Music is a big help for me when I'm trying to relax.  I use music for a lot of things.  I use it to regain my energy after being around people for too long.  I use it to help me fall asleep.  I use it to help me focus better.  I use it for inspiration.  My favorite album to listen to for all of these reasons is Homestuck Volume 8 (pictured above).  It just has a lot of really interesting and relaxing songs.  It's great to listen to when writing creative stories.

So there you have it, I guess.  That's how I relax and de-stress myself.  All of these really help me get through the stress so I figured that maybe whoever reads this blog could use some of these methods too.

- René