via yogatothepeople.com
Free classes at Yoga to the People may reduce anxiety during exam periods.
How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
It's crunch time. You have a mere 24 hours until that next big test, and you feel like your week of studying hasn't even begun to prepare you for what is to come. To make matters worse, you have another test in two days, a 10-page paper due, and you somehow have to find a way to fit in holiday shopping and cleaning your room before leaving. The world is crashing down on your shoulders and you have nowhere to turn — or do you?
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Petting puppies brought into residence halls for stressed students by ResEd staff.
Eating fresh food can reduce stress.
Much of the stress brought on by final exam season can be avoided or lessened by modifying your schedule in a few simple ways.
"Jump-start an effective time management strategy," Melissa Conrad Stoppler of medicinenet.com said. By this she means to take those tiny but necessary tasks (i.e. cleaning your bathroom, buying a book for class, sending an e-mail) and get them out of the way. By removing small responsibilities, you take off some stress from your mind and can focus on more important things like studying.
Find an outlet for your stress. Yoga is a perfect way to physically get rid of stress. While it can be difficult to get into the practice of yoga, it's not that difficult to find a good place to practice it. Yoga to the People provides donation-based classes at three different locations in New York City. Classes are offered at various times throughout the day and schedules can be found at yogatothepeople.com.
Even if yoga or fitness isn't your thing, there are other ways to relieve your stress. Though shopping may not be too good for your bank account, it may help to calm you down. But hey, it's the holiday season so by buying some gifts you're actually multitasking. Whatever hobby or passion it is, find something that relieves your stress, designate a time for it, and stick to that "date" with yourself.
Also — watch your diet. According to Tracee Cornforth of about.com, following a diet regimen may help to reduce anxiety — even though it may sound like it would add more stress. She suggests making sure you get a well-balanced and healthy diet, one filled with fruits, vegetables, carbs and proteins. And sadly for all of those who rely on a cup of coffee to get you going, avoid caffeine. Cornforth said excessive amounts of caffeine have been shown to increase anxiety.
Other ways to reduce stress include deep breathing exercises, getting outdoors, aromatherapy and massages. The most important thing is realizing that you can't do everything perfectly at once.
Keep a look out for NYU-sponsored events. Many residence halls offer different activities and even days devoted to relieving stress. Weinstein residence hall had a "Stress Free Day" during midterms with activities such as petting puppies and coloring, which turned out to be successful. Take advantage of opportunities like these when looking for easy ways to de-stress.
And remember, the Wellness Exchange, located at 726 Broadway on the third and fourth floors, is always available to help you. If the stress you are experiencing seems to be unmanageable, give them a call at 212.443.9999. You can contact the Wellness Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week and speak to someone who can assist you in relieving the stress.
