I’m sure everyone can agree college is stressful. Some of us just finished up with midterm exams, and finals are quickly approaching. A lot of students also have jobs and extracurriculars on top of classes and homework, so it’s understandable why burnouts are common around this time of year. Not to mention, the cold weather certainly plays a role in our moods. If you’re like me and you’ve found yourself struggling to keep your head up and stay motivated, here are some of my favorite ways to destress.

Play games. No matter the game, a little friendly competition is always fun. My friends and I typically play Uno, but we also play Monopoly and other games. Sometimes it can get vicious (especially since we allow stacking Draw-two and Draw-four cards), but that just makes it more exciting.

Create something. Focusing all of your energy on creating something is a great way to clear your mind. You can paint something, color a picture, write something, build something, anything that will give you a finished product. Not only does the act of creating it ease your mind by giving you something else to think about, but you also get the satisfaction of finishing something.

Listen to music. Music is great because you can always find a song that relates to however you’re feeling at a certain time or that fits your current mood. If you’re feeling down, sometimes listening to sad songs can help you understand how you’re feeling by listening to other people’s words. It also feels nice to know that you’re not the only one who has ever felt down. If you don’t want to listen to sad songs and you’re looking for something to pump you up, you can also blast songs from your childhood (Hannah Montana anyone?) or songs that make you want to dance.

Dance it out. Anyone who is a fan of Grey’s Anatomy will get the reference, but dancing it out truly is a great way to destress. Going along with the last point, get all of your friends together, put on some music, and just go crazy. Any type of physical movement releases endorphins in the brain which helps relieve stress. Dancing is a great way to exercise because you can do it anywhere, and it’s even more fun to do with friends.

Spend time with friends. If you hadn’t noticed already, all of the activities I mentioned are better with friends. Any time I’m with my friends, my mood instantly improves. If you all have homework, you can get together and encourage each other to do your work. It’s easier to focus on homework if all of the main people you talk to are also working on homework right next to you.

Everyone gets stressed out. There are a lot of different things you can do to help ease that stress, so find something that works for you and run with it.

Jessica Stewart is a junior English major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at jrstewart3@eiu.edu