The Lincoln Log

With the end of the second quarter nearing, the growing mound of stress seems to be weighing a couple thousand pounds. The stress seems killer, but with a couple tips courtesy of TimeThoughts.com, you can be a calmer head-in-the-books student in no time!

1. Practice Breathing Techniques – Focusing on your breathing and practicing various breathing techniques can also provide immediate stress relief.

2. Get Some Exercise – Exercise is a wonderful and natural technique for stress relief. Take a brisk walk or go for a bicycle ride. Focus on the activity at hand and how your body feels when you’re moving. You’ll get rid of some pent up stress and your brain will release endorphins, your body’s natural high.

3. Do some physical labor – Much like exercising, doing some physical work around the house can actually be relaxing, because it releases stress and gives us a chance to work on something different. So, plant a garden or clean up a room. Your home will look better, and you’ll feel better.

4. Do Something You Enjoy – Anything that you really enjoy doing can help you relax, but often we get so caught up in our work and other responsibilities that we fail to leave time for things that we find fun. So, play some chess, knit a sweater, or play a round of golf.

5. Read – When you get involved in the plot of a novel, you temporarily forget all about the problems in your life. It can be very beneficial to your stress level to get lost in someone else’s life for a little while.