How I unwind and relax amidst the pressures of uni

There are times when the uni bubble can feel like too much; you feel under a lot of stress and pressure and like you’re working yourself into a rut. You can sometimes feel this way whether you have numerous deadlines looming or a relatively relaxed work schedule at the time, it’s just part and parcel of university life. When you feel like this it’s important to find ways that help you unwind, relax and take a breather. The number one way for me to avoid stress and anxiety in the first place is to plan ahead and be productive with my time, but at times I can naturally fall short of this and need a way to feel motivated and inspired again.

Some of my favourite ways to switch off and relax are:

1. Going to the gym. Going to PureGym on the edge of town means that my gym routine is roughly two hours including the walk there and back. This time walking outside along with getting in a good sweaty session at the gym always helps to clear my mind, put anxiety at ease and feel accomplished. Going to the gym four or five times a week allows me to keep my endorphin levels high and helps me to feel physically tired and ready for bed each night.
2. Evening TV. Switching on the telly in the evening with my housemates always lifts my mood and helps me to relax. Whether it’s SAS: Who Dares Wins or First Dates on the tv I find this time chilling with my friends an important part of my downtime.
3. Reading. One of my new year’s goals is to read more. Putting your phone down and picking up a book is a great way to unwind and absorbing yourself in a good book helps you to stop overthinking and stressing over things. Putting your phone down and away from you is an important part of this as I find constant aimless scrolling to be a conducive factor leading to stress and anxiety, particularly on apps such as Instagram.
4. Sleep. I don’t mean all day or numerous naps a day, but that’s fine if that works for you. But getting an early night, reading your book before bed and then being able to rise early will undoubtedly help your stress levels and make you feel more relaxed and accomplished with your time.

These are all pretty simple things, and maybe this post was more to remind myself of the things that help me to relax than anything, but I hope these simple tips can help you to find ways to take some you-time and relieve the pressures of uni.