Three Ways to Avoid Stress

By Thien Van Tran

You know, sometimes when life gets hard, I just wish I could be a dog and not have to worry about anything. I’d even be great at it, licking and scratching myself in front of company, and pooping everywhere except outside. The usual. But since that’s not really an option, I’ve had to find other clever ways of dealing with stress, which I have generously shared below. I know it’s finals week, so I promise this is a short read.

3. Breathe Deeply

This may sound like the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard silly, but deep breathing has been shown to be the cornerstone of many relaxation techniques. But according to WebMD, there’s a proper way to do it. Sit up straight, inhale only through your nose (very important), and exhale through your mouth while pushing out as much air as possible by contracting your abdominal muscles. Your stomach should move while breathing, but your chest and shoulders should remain still. If this is difficult at first in your sitting position, it is recommended that you lie down and breathe. Who knew breathing could be so involved? Apparently this is supposed send a message demonstrating that not many people know how to breathe effectively, and allow stress to make their breathing more shallow and strained. I just thought it was about how only air should go in your nose, not your finger. Both equally powerful messages.

2. Choose the Right Surroundings

Most people would consider Richter Library to be a productive and peaceful environment in which to study. However, unless you want to play musical chairs at 2AM, I would strongly advise you find another location. Seriously, people steal and stash chairs as though Armageddon is going to happen any second and the new world will be one in which chairs are the new form of currency. But hey I know finals are important and sometimes people get desperate, so I’m not here to judge. I’m here to point fingers. This has happened to me personally, and although I may have looked calm, in my head I’ve killed them three times. So, find a quiet place that is not your bed, and hunker down.

1. LOOK AT THESE PICTURES!

No matter how stressed you may be, looking at cute little animals will always make it better. Just take this one for example.

Come on now, he is an emoticon (^.^).

Feeling better now? Feel free to browse through the rest of the “D’AWWWWWWW!!!1” that I have placed below.