{"id":1489,"date":"2023-10-23T10:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T17:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/?p=1489"},"modified":"2023-10-23T10:27:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T17:27:51","slug":"mid-semester-stress-busters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/mid-semester-stress-busters\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Mid-Semester Stress Busters"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n

Stress gets a bad rap, but it isn\u2019t all bad. Stress can be quite a motivator and reveals to us our values and what we care most about.<\/p>\n

A little bit of stress is good; it is what helps to keep us going. But, when stress consumes us and starts to take over our daily lives, then it might be time for a change.<\/p>\n

\"\"It’s midterm season. Can you tell?<\/p>\n

It’s a lot – with balancing work, school, and play. Or, it might be your last year and you are worrying about what is next and starting to apply for jobs or graduate programs.<\/p>\n

Stress comes from so many different factors and can present in so many different ways. It can present physically – taxing on the body leading to fatigue, low energy, or even feeling ill, and other times it can present mentally where you become irritable, sad, and feel this loss of control.<\/p>\n

Sometimes there’s a relatively easy fix – like quitting a stressful job for one that’s more chill. Or taking out more school loans so you can drop your second job. Or finding a new roommate or housing situation. Or realizing a 12-credit semester is more your style moving forward.<\/p>\n

And then there are times when you’re stuck mid-semester with no real solutions in sight. Thankfully there are a few ways to manage this stress during those seasons of “stuckness”. Here are a couple of ideas to manage your stress in the moment:<\/p>\n

1. Find an outlet<\/h3>\n

We all need some kind of outlet to let go of everyday worries and stressors. This kind of outlet can really be anything that you want it to be such as a hobby that you enjoy.<\/p>\n

This can be drawing, photography, video games, reading, playing sports, listening to music, singing, and so much more. This is your time to escape and relax the mind.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. Discover Joyful Movement<\/h3>\n

Movement lowers stress. Find forms of movement that you truly enjoy.<\/p>\n

For some that may be going to the gym and for others the gym isn’t their thing. Maybe it is joining a fitness class with a friend, going on a walk or hike, or even learning a new dance. Whatever it is, make sure it is movement that brings you joy.<\/p>\n

Notice which activities lower stress. How do you feel before, during and after the activity? Let these sensations guide you towards your favorite movement patterns.<\/p>\n

3. Mindfulness<\/h3>\n

\"\"Try out brief mindfulness or meditation activities – either using apps or YouTube videos. Consider other activities that bring you to the present moment such as journaling, breathing techniques, or even a self-care activity like taking a bath.<\/p>\n

These activities bring calm and peace within the chaos that is going on within our daily lives.<\/p>\n

4. Get Some Sleep<\/h3>\n

Sleep is extremely important especially when it comes to managing stress. Without enough sleep we already are in a bad mood and think irrationally and with stress added on to that it just increases those feelings.<\/p>\n

Sleep is almost like hitting that reset button and you come into a situation with a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective.<\/p>\n

Sometimes when we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed we just need a good night’s rest. This can be hard, especially as\u00a0 busy college students. Find ways to cut mindless social media scrolling or other time sucks in order to make more time for sleep.<\/p>\n

Some ways to help prioritize sleep are setting a “go-to-bed alarm”, listening to calm music or a podcast, or creating a bedtime routine.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

\"\"5. Reach out for help<\/h3>\n

Sometimes we just need to vent or need someone to talk it out with. If you feel like your friends and family will give that to you, then confide in them.<\/p>\n

If it is bigger than that and you feel like it is way too far out of reach there are many resources on campus that can help as well.<\/p>\n

Some of these resources include Jacks 24\/7<\/a>, Paws your Stress events, Stressbusters, UCAN Health Coaching<\/a>, Counseling Services<\/a>, and Mental Health Support Squad<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\n Breanna Hisquierdo, UCAN Health Coach Supervisor<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stress gets a bad rap, but it isn\u2019t all bad. Stress can be quite a motivator and reveals to us our values and what we care most about. A little bit of stress is good; it is what helps to keep us going. But, when stress consumes us and starts to take over our daily […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1489"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1493,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1489\/revisions\/1493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}