By Michaela Steil
Wellness is more than just eating healthy, which is probably something we could all do with remembering right now during finals.
If you’ve ever clicked under contributors, you’ll notice that my two fellow co-contributors have quite health-oriented career paths, and there is a reason for that. Jenn and Chloe, work with our campus dietitian Amanda Reichardt and are here to help with “Wellness Wednesday”.
Chloe and Amanda at the Emporium pointing out some great superfoods to help you get through finals.
It seems only appropriate to introduce this new addition during finals. Just so, the first installment is titled “12 Ways to Prevent Stress” and provides useful tips and tricks for small ways to destress during finals and studying. Not only that, reading it is the perfect study break you deserve. Even if you don’t have the time to read the whole thing right now, it’s okay. Take a deep breath, you’re going to do great. Good luck on your finals, everyone!
12 Ways to Fight Stress at Stony Brook University
Stressed out about finals? Here are a few tips to help get through this tough time
- Take a walk. Sometimes you just need a breather, especially when you’ve been cooped up in the library or your dorm room all day. Fresh air and some time to clear your mind can be just the thing you need after reading textbooks for hours. Walking around Roth Regatta or just strolling across campus to get a bite to eat can be calming. Plus, these minutes of walking count toward your daily goal of 30 minutes of exercise.
- Work it at the Rec Center. Breaking a sweat is a great way to boost memory, as well as improve attention and planning skills. Exercise releases endorphins, which are “feel good” chemicals. Endorphins benefit your body by heightening mood and reducing the feeling of pain. Speak to your doctor before beginning any exercise plan to assess any risks of activity.
- Change up your scenery. Even though Stony Brook’s campus is beautiful, sometimes it’s nice to leave our little bubble (even if just for a little bit). Whether it’s visiting Port Jeff, heading to the movie theater, or just going on a Target run with friends, deviating from your typical schedule can give you the energy boost you need to power through that Bio reading. If you can’t get all the way off of campus, sometimes just moving study locations can be helpful. The Wang Center, especially Jasmine or the Zen Rock Garden, is a peaceful and quiet place to get work done.
- Watch your favorite movie or TV show. It’s the Holiday season after all, so take a break to watch one of your favorite movies from this time of year. It’s not only a nice way to break up studying, but it will give you some perspective. Remember, winter break is right around the corner! Just be careful not to turn that one or two episodes of The Office into an all-day binge, causing you to skip reviewing Calc. We should aim to have no more than 2 hours of screen time per day.
- Eat a superfood. Enjoy foods like hummus, chia pudding, dark chocolate and sweet potatoes which contain nutrients to nourish your noggin. Antioxidants such as vitamin C can improve memory while helping to suppress cold symptoms. Avocados are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium to overcome stress and chill out!
- Turn your phone off. Try to avoid constantly checking Snapchat, scrolling through your Instagram feed, or incessantly check e-mail to see if your professor had a change of heart about finals. Did you know we check our phone about every six minutes or about 150 times per day? Cell phones emit something called “short-wavelength-enriched” light, or “blue light” which is known to impact the sleep inducing hormone melatonin. This means that using your phone before bed affects your internal clock and can cause your circadian rhythm to be off. Take a little break and get rid of the compulsion to check it so often.
- Don’t forget to eat. When we get busy, the basic things tend to get thrown out the window. For college students, this can mean remembering to eat. Sure, dragging yourself to a dining hall or a retail location sounds like a lot of work, but it’s so important to make sure you are getting adequate nutrition, especially during finals. Studying and retaining information is a lot easier when your brain and body are well nourished.
- Get organized. The end of the semester is incredibly overwhelming, and it can feel like there are a million things to do and about no time to do them. Try creating a to-do list. Writing everything you have to do down in an organized and realistic fashion can seem daunting at first, but this will make it a little less intimidating. Also, crossing things off your list actually releases small amounts of serotonin to keep you moving forward.
- Blast some music. Turn on your favorite playlist, dance around your dorm, and sing at the top of your lungs to release some stress. Not only is this fun, but listening to your favorite tunes can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels too!
- Try aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from plants to help improve your general wellbeing. Essential oils can be used in a diffuser, diluted by water, or rubbed into acupressure points. Research has shown that the use of aromatherapy can relax the body, relieve stress, and promote better sleep. Certain essential oils such as lavender have been scientifically shown to react the same way biochemically that anti-anxiety medications do in certain parts of the brain. Other helpful oils are jasmine, ylang ylang, peppermint, bergamot (citrus blend), eucalyptus, and lemon.
- Visit CAPS. Located on the second floor of the Student Health Center, CAPS is there to assist with anything you might be having an issue with. CAPS is also holding de-stress events around campus, and they’re the amazing people responsible for bringing the therapy dogs (PALS) on campus. CAPS will be doing “Let’s Talk” sessions in HSC, the Campus Rec, and Chapin Apartments. These are opportunities for students to drop by and speak with a certified counselor about anything that might be on their mind. There will be three different PALS events next week in honor of finals and a total of six different “Let’s Talk” sessions from the 12th-20th. Find all of the events with times and locations on the event calendar located on CAPS website.
- Breathe. As Bethany on The Elvis Duran Morning Show would say, “this is your hourly reminder to take a deep breath.” It might sound obvious to some, but deep breathing is one of the best ways to reduce stress in the body. When you breathe deeply it sends oxygen to your brain, as well as a signal for it to relax and calm down. This can reduce your blood pressure, slow your heart rate, reduce tension, and slow your respiratory rate. Breathing exercises are easy to learn and apply in your daily life. One example is called 4-7-8 breathing. Try breathing in for four counts, holding your breath for seven counts, and then slowly releasing it for eight. Take deep breaths from your stomach instead of shallow ones. You can also download apps or set reminders on your phone to remind you to take a moment to breathe.
If you have any other concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to Amanda! Amanda.Reichardt@stonybrook.edu
