If you’re like me, right about now you want to spontaneously combust so you don’t need to go to finals. Never fear, that stress shall pass. Until then, here are some things you can do to kick stress to the curb. For those of you have already finished your finals, these are just some fun things you can do as summer comes up.
1. Take a walk: I know you have a lot to study for or you have to write a bunch of papers, but it’s always good to take a break. If you live on campus, you are walking distance from several hiking trails, like the Red Butte Garden trails, the Living Room Trail and Peach Grove Trail. With winter finally behind us, it’ll be the perfect weather for a quick outing.
2. Music: Studies show that certain types of music can help with stress. Maybe avoid heavy metal, hard rock and EDM and take it slow for a while.
I would suggest…
Smooth Jazz/Jazz: “Butter” by Boney James / “April Showers” by ProletR / “Autumn Leaves” by Eric Clapton*
Lofi: “Heavy Rain” by Compilation / “Morning Coffee” by Compilation / “Lonely Day” by Compilation
Classical/Solo Piano: “Clair De Lune” by Claude Debussy / “Once Upon a time in Paris” by Erik Satie / everything from Studio Ghibli
50’s Country and Blues: “You Belong To Me” by Courtnee Draper* / “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” by The Ink Spots / “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Ella Fitzgerald
And Ukulele Music: “Feelings are Fatal” by Mxmtoon / “Cut My Hair (This is Home)” by Cavetown / “Ultimately” by Khai Dreams
*Cover of the original song
Everyone has different music tastes, so this may not be everyone’s cup of tea
3. Tea: I’m not a tea drinker, but there are some great benefits to drinking tea. Herbal teas like peppermint and chamomile can be great destressers. I know you’ll need to pull an all-nighter or two, but avoid heavily caffeinated drinks like coffee or Monsters. They’ll boost your heart rate and keep you from calming down. Tea is often a much better option.
4. Aromatherapy: On a similar level, essential oils like lavender, orange and other floral scents are great for lowering levels of stress. If you have the money, you can get the essential oils and a defuser. Or even lavender soaps. Buying a bouquet of lavender, drying it and putting the dried flower in a linen bag is one way to naturally make the air smell like success.
5. Crafts: If that brief overview of homemade potpourri made you want to make it, then that is also a good destresser. Arts and crafts can be a good way to take your mind off of what’s stressing you out. My personal favorites are cross-stitching and embroidery. It’s a nice time waster that gives you an actual finished project, unlike a fidget spinner.
Hopefully, some of these strategies will help you keep your cool during finals week. Remember, take a deep breath, and it will all be over soon.
@TheChrony