i know for some of you college students, exams are about to come up. i know when i was in school, i would FREAK. my face would turn into a pizza, i would stress like THAT would help things, and then i’d eventually study haha. now that i’m in the “real world” life is still equally stressful. just a different kind of stress haha. here are my ways to coping when things get a little crazy. some may seem silly, but they actually do help! feel free to share your stress tips! i would love to know! 🙂

here are mine:

1. roar like a lion. yeah, you want to make sure you don’t do this around people haha. but seriously, it does help. some times releasing a good scream is the way to go. you just get out a lot of your frustrations. it really does work! 🙂

2. scream into a pillow. again. this helps. and it muffles the scream so it’s not as loud. it’s still probably too loud to do around people though. just be warned! 😉

3. go for a walk. grab your ipod and get to walking. or running. i walk because i still don’t know how to breathe properly when running. being mad and not breathing are not a good combo. trust me haha.

4. punch something. that pillow will get a lot of good use.

5. watch friends. or your fave funny show. having a good laugh can change your mood a lot. next time you’re stressed, step back and take some time to cool off by watching something funny. even a quick youtube video can turn your mood around.

6. eat some comfort food. mmmmm. i know when i am stressed, a nice yummy meal can always help my demeanor. or chocolate. chocolate is good too.

7. dance party. crank up the music! a quick jig to your fave dance groove will help even if you just end up laughing at yourself. 😉

8. retail therapy. SHOP TIL YOU DROP! but don’t go too crazy. you don’t want to have to stress out over spending too much either! hehe. but go buy something you’ve been eyeing for a while. treat yourself. 🙂

9. escape in a book or a movie. seriously, picking up a good book or being engrossed in a good movie will help you drown out the world for a few hours. escape to another world and forget about what’s going on in your life.

10. talk it out. grab a friend and go have some gab time. or heck, just listen to what’s going on in their life. it might put things in perspective.

11. pinterest. i don’t know about y’all, but i can go on pinterest and get engrossed in that world for quite about of time. 😉

12. do something nice for someone else. seriously. this is one of the best things to do. making someone else happy can instantly change your mood. you stop dwelling on your problems and reach out to others. then they might want to do the same thing. it’s beautiful! 😉

13. jesus time. i cannot stress this enough. when life gets crazy, sometimes we think we’re in it all alone. but we’re not. God is right there for us and He’s with us through everything. i often forget to lean on Him, because i think i’m fine and can handle things on my own. but i can’t and soon realize it after i feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. i know i can’t do it alone and that He is the only way i’ll survive.  i’m so thankful to have a loving God who is always there for me! 🙂