It is that time of the semester again, hours of cramming information into your brain trying to prepare for final exams. Constantly stressing, wondering how hard the final exam is going to be while trying not to break down and cry— just hoping to pass each final exam.

We have all been in this situation before and felt the stress of finals week. Even though this is a stressful time, there are many coping mechanisms that can help you let off some steam. Of course, everyone has their own way of relieving stress, but many people do not realize simple ways to clear their minds. There are numerous simple strategies to relieve stress, such as going on a walk, meditating, hanging out with friends or working out.

Personally, I enjoy going on walks with my dog whenever I am feeling extremely stressed out because I am able to enjoy the warm weather and breathe in the fresh air. It is relaxing to put down review material for a little while so you are able to focus your mind on something else and not worry so much about that upcoming final.

Meditating is also another effective strategy when relieving stress. Meditation ultimately restores and calms your inner peace by focusing all of your attention on breathing and clearing your mind. It is crazy to think that just by controlling your breathing you can reduce stress levels. How much simpler could it get?

Of course, hanging out with your friends is another thing that can really clear your mind of all of the stress. Whether you all decide to go out to a movie or just relax together and talk, you can focus your attention to another place for a while. Oftentimes, we forget to spend time with our friends when we are feeling stressed out because so much of our attention is focused on that specific class or exam. It is actually a good thing to stop what you are doing and take time out of your day to hang out with your friends.

Another strategy that always seems to help when trying to relieve stress is working out.

“Whenever I am feeling stressed I enjoy the feeling of running on a treadmill because I really feel like it blows off steam,” Shippensburg University student Alexandria Berkenstock said. As we continued talking, she discussed how one of her professors in a social work class gave a small lecture about how to relieve stress, which she believed was very helpful.

Hopefully you remember some of these tips and put them to use this upcoming week.

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