Let’s be honest here: college is a very stressful time. For most students, you have never experienced a time as stressful as college and it can be very overwhelming. Dealing with stress is very important in college because it can get out of hand really fast. To help yourself stay sane, you should be donating about an hour a day (at least) to time for yourself. Here are a few helpful tips on how to take your mind off the books and improve your well-being.

Read a book

Professors assign a lot of mandatory reading over the semester, but it’s important to keep reading material you enjoy outside of the classroom. I suggest taking time away from homework and studying to read a book of your choice. Reading is an easy way to take your mind off of the stress of class and focus on something new.

Take advantage of your Netflix or Hulu account

Here’s a helpful tip from an experienced student: The student Spotify package also comes with free Hulu. If you don’t have the student Spotify account, take advantage of Netflix. You can pay for it yourself or split it with a friend (like I do). Take about an hour before bed every night and watch an episode of a new show.

Get coffee with a friend

I have a friend who schedules a weekly coffee date with her best friend to catch up and vent about all of their endeavors over the past week. Take some time outside of your apartment or dorm room and meet a friend for coffee. This is a great way to vent about anything that’s been weighing on your mind over the past week. If you don’t have time for coffee, make a call home and talk to your parents for a few minutes. I found this to be very helpful over the past year as my classes got increasingly more stressful.

Go for a workout

Working out is a great way to release endorphins and take your mind off of coursework. In addition, working out will help you stay in shape at the same time. Working out for at least an hour a day with help keep you healthy both physically and mentally.

Go out with your friends

Whether you drink or not, it’s never a bad idea to take a night off and hang out with your friends. As long as you do this in moderation and don’t get too crazy, it will help take your mind off of the stress. Get a group of your closest friends together and let loose at a party, as long as you do so safely and responsibly.

Abby is a senior in Media.

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