College can give you the best times of your life, as well as the most stressful times of your life. Being a top-notch student can take a serious toll on yourself.

1.

The number one way to take a break from school is to stop and BREATHE. You’re running around all day trying to get everything done on time, or even earlier, and sometimes you forget to breathe. I usually like to take 5 deep breaths and tune everything out. Once you control your breathing, relax your shoulders, you may not even notice they were tense, unclench your jaw and just say everything is going to be okay, you’ll feel more at ease. gif source

2.

Drive to nature. Nature is the best medicine for any occasion. Whether it’s going on a hike, to the beach, to the mountains, or a quick getaway to a national forest/park, you’ll feel disconnected from your worries. gif source

3.

Spend time with your loved ones. Whether it’s your family, best friend, or significant other spending time with someone you genuinely enjoy can take some stress off of your mind. gif source

4.

Exercise. As Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people don’t just kill their husbands.” Okay, maybe everything but the last part is what you need to remember. I’ve noticed after a really stressful day or week I like to exercise the stress out. It can be running, weight lifting, or yoga, this can help you relieve stress and take your mind off of school. gif source

5.

Get your Netflix game ON! Don’t let it serve as a distraction but more of a study break. Give yourself an hour, watch a movie you’d never see. gif source

6.

Read. Read your favorite book or magazine. Open up the book and look in the panel and if the plot intrigues you then read it! Your mind can imagine the story and help you focus on something other than school. gif source

7.

Be an artist. Although art is not everyone’s strong suit it can be super therapeutic. Art comes in different forms to different people, unless you’re trying to be the next Picasso you can be happy with anything you create. Whether it’s with pencil, paint, digital, etc. you can express yourself freely and take your mind off of school. gif source

8.

Do something you love. It can literally be anything and dedicate your mind and time to that one thing to relax. gif source

9.

Take a nap, sometimes you need to completely shut off your mind from frustration and stress.
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10.

Take time to reflect. Sometimes you’re so busy you don’t even see how much you’ve progressed! Look how far you’ve come, what you’ve accomplished and improved on. It can be about school or life in general, write down how you’re feeling and release your stress onto paper. gif source