I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say that the end of the semester is an especially stressful time. With all of the constant Quizlet notecard practices and intense Starbucks study sessions, it becomes difficult to listen to those who say, “It will all be okay,” when your grades are important and you hold yourself to a high standard. So, if words of encouragement aren’t particularly helping stress, what is?

I personally find that moving my body and being active is key to relieving stress, even just by incorporating something small into my everyday routine.

“To relieve stress I like going to the beach,” Jakob Tu (11) said. “Whether it’s surfing, walking my dog or running, it always takes some weight off my shoulders.”

As Tu said, there’s something special about going to the beach during times of hardship. It always seems to calm my nerves or help me find solutions to overbearing situations in my life. Maybe it’s the calming sound of the waves crashing against the sand, or the slight breeze and brisk air, or just the picturesque scenery.

Other than appreciating nature, going shopping — or even just window shopping — is something that always helps me take the edge off. Taking my mind off of stress and onto clothes helps with nearly any problem in my life. 

Although shopping and taking leisurely walks is calming when I have the time, it can sometimes only make the stress worse when I know there’s a long list of topics to review for exams. When it comes to being stressed out about school, particularly finals, I think the best we can do is take breaks adequate to our studying time. If I have a full day of studying ahead of me, at least a few half an hour breaks is necessary, and of course creating time to fuel my body with nutritious food. 

Something quick I like to do during my study breaks is make myself food or pick something up from one of my favorite restaurants. A study snack is always a necessity to keep going. Some of my go-to’s are cheese and crackers, cream cheese on cucumber slices and an Iced Chai from Starbucks. 

Besides the small, fun and stress-relieving things added to my day, getting a good amount of sleep, eating properly and getting enough socialization are also necessities.

“To take a break in studying, I like to get a sweet treat with my friends,” Ella Kaplan (11) said. “It’s just something fun to keep me from going crazy.”

Getting adequate social hours should be high on everyone’s priority lists, as it is what keeps many students sane in times of stress. 

Whether school-related or not, the end of the semester and start of the holiday season can be stressful for everyone. Making sure that you are incorporating a good amount of stress relievers, even something as simple as a 10 minute walk, into everyday life is very important. Keeping yourself on track with healthy stress-relievers is the best thing you can do to stay happy.

Before going back to studying or working hard, my top three tips for relieving stress are giving yourself an adequate amount of breaks, moving your body daily and having good study snacks ready to go.