Jessica Gilligan
Contributor
@excalweb
The student life sometimes seems more than what we bargained for. Around this time of year, projects, essays, tests, and exams begin to pile up. The little notes on our calendars marking due dates and exam dates seem a lot larger and far more threatening than they did a month or two ago.
All of these things can contribute to feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed. But there are countless easy tactics for eliminating stress as well as improving sleep and calming the body and mind, that even the busiest students can do every day.
On top of everyday stress in our personal lives and financial situations, university can drive our anxiety levels past the ceiling. With the countless all-nighters, less time for doing things that keep us calm and happy, and an all-consuming feeling of helplessness.
Often we find ourselves wishing there was a magic spell to make everything causing our stress and anxiety to just disappear. Well, there is no magic spell eliminating stressful factors in our lives (if you know differently, please share!), but there are some seemingly magical cures for the actual stress!
On his show, Dr. Oz gives three natural supplements to decreasing worries and stress. The first is lemon balm, a herb commonly used in the Middle Ages to decrease anxiety. It is available in teas, herbal supplements, and essential oils.
The second natural remedy is passionflower, which can be consumed in teas and found in herbal supplements. Passionflower is believed to decrease nervous stress and researchers claim that it works by slowing down activity in some brain cells.
The third remedy is valerian root. It was used in ancient Greece and Rome to treat insomnia, and is used to calm jitters. It has an effect similar to that of a sedative. Valerian root is also available in teas, as well as capsules.
There are more than oral fixes to stress relief. Marlene Latour, instructor at the Yoga Sanctuary in Richmond Hill states that there are poses and stretches that can also have very calming effects. She says to try a reclining baddha konasana (bound angle) pose for stress relief, which is essentially lying on your back with your legs under your backside and hands above your head.
“That’s one of my favourite poses,” says Latour. Coupled with breathing, where the belly swells on inhale and then exhaling more than usual is what she finds very relaxing.
Another technique Latour suggests for stress relief is the “legs up the wall” pose which is exactly what it sounds like.
“You pretty much prop your bottom up against a wall and lift your legs straight up so that they’re resting against the wall,” Latour says. This pose gives our circulatory system “a bit of a break, and it’s very calming to the nervous system,” she says. Because this pose is very relaxing, Latour finds this pose useful for sleep deprivation. “Doing legs up the wall for about 10 minutes before bed is helpful.”
Although school can be stressful, we often forget time for ourselves, ignoring the fact that simple tactics such as deep breathing can help calm our bodies and minds.
It’s very easy to make changes in our diet, consuming natural and healthy products as well as taking calming supplements to give our brains a bit of the break that we need this time of year. Getting adequate sleep is also one of the best ways to eliminate stress, and a simple 10-minute stretch before bed can help with falling asleep. Just remember not to do “legs up the wall” or to take a supplement that slows down brain activity before an exam!
