Having a long week? Missing home? Stay out too late last night? These 10 pick me ups for stressed college students are exactly what you need to get back in your rhythm.
10. Make Your Favorite Meal
Sometimes when you find yourself overwhelmed or in a bit of a rut one of the best pick me ups for stressed college students is to slow things down and do something just for yourself. Making your favorite meal from home is one of the best pick me ups for stressed college students because a little taste of home can set you right back on track. The process of making your favorite dish can also be relaxing and help you get yourself back into a good head space.
9. Take a Hot Shower
When you are really stressed out, sometimes you just need some alone time and a long hot shower can really do the trick. Take this time to really take care of yourself and don’t skip any steps to your shower routine. Try a hair mask or a new body wash, treat this as a full self care shower and you’ll come out feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Long showers are especially helpful after a big night out when you don’t feel your best. The steamy shower helps to open up your sinuses and relieve some of that pressure. A shower also helps you feel like you’ve started your day and is good motivation to get some other things on your list done.
8. Exercise
College schedules are very hectic and making time for exercise can often come as a second thought, but it is so important. Working out is such a great stress reliever and the perfect activity for clearing your head. Even if you are just taking a short walk outside, you are still doing so much to help yourself. It is so easy to get swept up in the busy college life, but setting aside a few hours a week to get in gym is highly beneficial.
7. Read a Book
When you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed with your life a book can be the perfect escape. At the end of your day curl up in bed with a good book and feel your problems melt away as you get wrapped up in the lives of your book’s characters. Getting into a good book is also a great way to stay off of your phone late at night. Going on your phone before bed makes it harder to fall asleep as the blue light keeps you awake. Reading a book before bed will leave you distressed and with a better night’s sleep.
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6. Get a Treat
Take a walk to your favorite cafe or bakery and treat yourself to a warm cookie or your favorite baked good. This simple act of doing something for yourself is one of the most perfect pick me ups for college students. Use this as a study break and forget about your responsibilities for a few minutes. You don’t even have to leave your dorm for a treat if you don’t want to. You could keep cookie dough in your fridge and bake a few anytime you wanted. The Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is perfect because it breaks off into individual cookies.
5. Watch Your Favorite Movie
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Take an hour or two to regress back to your childhood and feel the comfort of one of your favorite movies. This is great for helping you to relax and decompress for a bit. Whenever any of my roommates were feeling particularly homesick or stressed to we would make a big batch of popcorn and watch an old Disney movie. Even if I wasn’t the one feeling out of sorts before the movie I always felt much better after.
4. Volunteer
Volunteering is on of the best pick me ups for stressed college students because giving back will always make you feel good. Find a place near or on your campus that needs volunteers and you’ll be feeling better in no time. You could volunteer at your school’s blood drive, an animal shelter, a soup kitchen, or maybe a food drive. There are endless opportunities for volunteering and you just have to find what is right for you.
3. Write in a Journal
Journaling is one of the best pick me ups for stressed college students for several reasons. Journaling allows you to organize all your thoughts and figure out what’s really going on with yourself. Your journal is a safe space where you can get some things down that you otherwise wouldn’t be comfortable sharing. Just 5-10 minutes of journaling every day can be tremendously helpful and have you feeling your best again.
2. Call a Friend or Loved One
Sometimes when we are at college we forget about the people back home. If you are feeling down or missing home a lot give someone a call. Call one of your best friends from home to catch up or call a grandparent and check in with them. Talking with friends and relatives will be just the serotonin boost you need to keep going.
1. Make a New Playlist
Music is #1 on the list of pick me ups for stressed college students because music can help in so many ways. If you are missing home, create a playlist with songs that remind you of your family. Add some of your mom or dad’s favorite songs and maybe a few that were always playing in your house. Listening to these songs will have you feeling like your family is right there with you at school.
Making a new playlist is a great stress reliever. Spend a few hours finding some new music and create the playlist of your dreams. Include some of your favorites and some of your new finds to ensure a playlist that you’ll want to listen to on repeat. Take your new playlist for a spin and walk around campus to really clear your head and let yourself be alone. Music always lifts my spirits and makes me feel more energized than I was before. it’s hard to listen to a fun upbeat song and not have a smile on your face.