10 Ways To Destress Around Exam Season

When we want to destress it's hard to know what to do exactly, so these are my top ten ways to de-stress.

Exam season is, for many people, upon us, and if it isn’t for you, then it’s almost certainly fast approaching. You’re revising until the words no longer make sense, you’re trying your hardest not to eat and drink away all of your problems, and you no longer have a sleeping pattern. So what do you do? You decide to destress, just for a little bit, to make the rest of your revision more productive and, dare I say, enjoyable. That said, here are my 10 ways to destress around exam season.

1. Do what you love

If it’s reading, read! If it’s walking, walk! If it’s singing, sing! The best thing you can do to destress is something that’s tried and tested and you know you love. For me, it’s singing, so whenever I get stressed I put on one of my favourite musicals and sing as loud as I want. Whatever it is, set some time aside to do it without feeling pressured. Just an hour can have all the effect in the world.

2. Meet a friend or two

Rant and rave about what’s on your mind, but not forever. If it’s really on your mind then talking about it will make you feel a lot better. That being said, once it is done then move on and be positive! If you hang onto the bad then it really will never go away, so it’s important to get it out then get it gone.

3. Have a bath

Sit, relax, feel warm and clean. If you’re feeling luxurious then buy a bath bomb, put some music on and chill out. Or, if you have some TV to catch up on then chuck that on, sit back and relax.

4. Do some exercise

Even if it’s just a walk! Get those endorphins flowing and get yourself feeling better. A little every day really will make the world of difference, and if you do something like yoga you have the added mindfulness as a bonus too.

5. Sleep

Go to bed early. Take a nap. Or just lie down. If you’re properly rested then almost everything will seem easier to tackle.

6. Say “no”

If you’re too busy or stressed then you don’t need to and shouldn’t feel obligated to do anything. Say no if you need a break and no one will criticise you for it.

7. Tidy your space

They say that a tidy space = a tidy mind. While it can’t solve all of your problems it can at least help to feel like you have some things in your life under control.

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8. Find a new hobby

If you keep your brain occupied then it won’t necessarily always dwell on the bad. It doesn’t have to be something you spend every hour of every day doing, but something which you enjoy enough to want to do when you’re bored or stressed.

9. Cut yourself some slack

Setting goals is really good, but not if they aren’t achievable. Give yourself some time to rest: you aren’t a machine that can work every hour of every day, you also need some time to live.

10. Cry if you need to

Crying from time to time can be really cathartic and also give up the release of a build-up of tensions. Put some sad songs on, cry a little and weirdly enough the world will seem a little brighter at the end of it.