With week four of the fall semester on its way, the academic workload is beginning to loom over students thus starting a never-ending cycle of stress. Whether we realize it or not, stress can often be managed by how we interact with our own bodies. We feel it in our breathing, head-and-body aches, changing sleep patterns and more. It’s important to make sure you are taking time to take care of yourself, so here are some helpful strategies for managing stress.
Exercise
It’s easy to get overwhelmed and busy to the point that you aren’t getting a lot of movement, but one of the best ways to decrease stress is by getting exercise. Whether it’s a 20-minute walk through campus or a full-blown workout, moving around can help with relaxing and increasing your mood.
With group exercise classes and personal training options available, McComas Hall is a perfect spot to get all forms of exercise in. McComas is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Meditation
Providing a safe time and place for your mind to relax and unwind is important and easily overlooked. Meditation is often misunderstood as a result of pop culture as being much more difficult than it is. In reality, meditation is whatever works the best for you. Yoga, running, painting, the classic sit-and-think imagery we’re all familiar with; if it soothes your mind, it can be a meditative practice.
The Hahn Horticulture Garden is an excellent on-campus resource for beginning or continuing your personal mindfulness journey. The garden is close to six acres, complete with walking trails, benches and lit paths after sundown.
If you are interested in off-campus recreation, the Huckleberry Trail is a local favorite. This paved multipurpose trail stretches almost 15 miles and functions as part of a larger 60-mile trail system. This is within walking distance from campus and goes through downtown.
Another off campus spot is Heritage Community Park and Natural Area, which consists of over 150 acres near University City Boulevard. This location has a variety of habits to wander for hours when you need a break from the bustle of central Blacksburg.
Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is arguably the most important way to keep stress levels low. As college students, it’s easy to get consumed by classes, clubs and work but it’s important to carve out time to rest. One way to make sure you are getting restful sleep is to mute notifications from your phone, laptop and other devices an hour before you go to sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “sticking to a cut-off time every night (at least an hour or two before bedtime)” will help with creating a good sleep routine.
Another way to help yourself rest is to make sure you are getting roughly the same number of hours of sleep each night. It’s easy to lose sleep some nights when you are working on homework and prepping for exams, which can affect your quality of sleep. Research shows that young adults should get between 6 to 11 hours of sleep, so try to aim for at least 6 hours of sleep every night around the same time to create a solid sleep schedule.
Overall, there are a variety of ways to begin taking better care of yourself or to continue on your personal wellness journey. Luckily, they don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Virginia Tech’s physical location offers a lot of options to help you out. Take advantage of them!
Also, remember – if your stress turns out to be too big for you to handle alone, Cook Counseling Center is available online and on campus to help.
