That time of the year has come again!

Teachers are rushing, trying to cramp every last bit of vital information into the skulls of their students in a desperate attempt to help them pass their examinations. Students can be seen studying feverishly in preparation for their upcoming finals. If one took time to stop and take in the intensity of the atmosphere, you could almost smell the rancid stench of stress hanging in the air.

That’s right. During this period, stress is abundant and affecting everyone, from students to the teachers themselves. In this article, I’ll be sharing my own ways of de-stressing which I hope will be of some help to everyone out there!

Music

First up is music. I’m sure you are no stranger to music. After all, the sight of people in the streets with earphones stuck into their ears is a common one. What most people don’t know is how to properly enjoy music. Most people listen to songs for the sake of having something to listen to in the background while they do other things. If you really want to relax by listening to music, drop everything else that you are doing. First make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and focus on the music. Submerge yourself in the intricacies of the music itself, picking out the different instruments playing in the background. Better still, start dancing to the music! That way, you become entirely absorbed in the song, and before you know it, all your worries will waltz away and you’d be as light as a feather! And I meant your mind, not your physical weight.

Sports

The next method is definitely not for the faint of heart, and I mean literally, as sports for relaxation requires a healthy physical aptitude or you’ll just end up even more stressed out than before due to over-exhaustion. For those that prefer movement to passive relaxation, sports are the way to go for you. Just get a few friends to join in a grueling yet fun-filled session of any kind of sport and sweat it out together! For an hour or so, forget about the rest of the stress inducing stuff and throw yourself in the heat of the game, you can practically feel the stress just oozing out of your swear pores and evaporating into the air where it’ll get blown far, far away from you.

Reading

I know what some of you are going to say about this next method. Why face more books when you’re already slugging your guts out studying textbooks and notes? Ah… but you see, the difference in them lies in their content. Sure a math enthusiast might find the content of a math textbook beautiful and ingenious, but it’s all rather subjective anyway. What I mean is for you to find a book that will relax your mind. Just reading for an hour or so can do wonders for your stress level. It may not be just books; the internet has loads of reading material catering to all ages! I, for one, have found solace in the website www.fanfiction.net, where there are many well written stories. All you need to do is read and allow your mind to delve into the world of wondrous fiction where stress is practically non-existent.

There are also many other simple ways to relax, be it indulging in personal hobbies, hanging out with friends or watching television. I myself find staring at the clouds and letting my mind wonder a great way to ‘wonder’ my stress away. It all actually depends on what you yourself like to do. Just remember, don’t try thinking too hard about what to do to de-stress, or you may just stress yourself further thinking too hard! Simple things are usually all you need to chase that bothersome feeling of stress away.

Always remember to take breaks between studying to unload. Relax more and you’ll find that your mind works better. So as they say, loosen up!!

Written by Amanda Ng