Stressed? Go Take A Walk!

One thing that I have learned after 5 semesters of college is the importance of health. College isn’t just about getting good grades; it is also about treating your body right and staying healthy. Even for me, this is super hard during the months of November and December. The last thing on my mind is getting enough sleep with the pending final assignments, projects, and exams. With all the stress piling up, the best (and easiest) way to relax is to simply go take a walk around the beautiful campus!

Today was one of those days when I just couldn’t focus on anything. I had something to do every half hour of the day from 9 am-3:30 pm. There is only one thing worse than being stressed out—it’s not even having time to *be* stressed out because you have too many things on your mind to be worried/stressed in the first place. So, right when I got out of my meeting at 3:30 pm this afternoon, I decided to go on a walk and calm my nerves down before working on more school work. Even though this probably sounds like a waste of time, it was probably the best thing I did the whole day.

The Wash U campus is gorgeous, especially with the nice weather outside today. It rained like crazy yesterday, yet it is bright and sunny outside today with some winds here and there. I walked three laps around the main campus, starting at Siegle Hall and ending near Olin Library. Then, I took the overpass back to my apartment on University Drive. During my short (but much needed) walk, I tried to relax, look at the trees and cute squirrels, and focus on my breathing instead of the crazy thoughts about school assignments. The funny thing is, after doing this for a few seconds, I felt my body physically and mentally calming down. That weird aching feeling of piled-up stress felt lighter, and I started to focus more on my surroundings rather than my thoughts.

Below are a couple of pictures that I snapped on my phone! Note to self: probably add some filters next time. 😛

So, if you are feeling stressed about final exams, take my advice and go on a short walk. Even 15 minutes of relaxing can help your body feel so much more refreshed before an intense study session.