Everyone can admit that times are tough these days. Living through a pandemic has everyone going through their own struggles. It could be financial struggles, emotional struggles, mental struggles, intellectual struggles, or even physical struggles. The national crisis has affected every age group in basically every part of the world. One major struggle affecting society is stress, particularly stress in students. The younger the child is, the less stress they are likely to feel from the isolation or change of environment. Their schoolwork or advances in their academic milestones may be hindered but on an emotional level, they are resilient. Older students, particularly college-aged young adults are going through a lot of stress. Stress about changes in their everyday world and their friends. Things they may no longer be allowed to do or isolation is hitting them hard. Suicide rates have gone up significantly especially in young adults. Something needs to be done about the stress. One way we can help is by teaching them how to manage their stress. Below are some methods that may help you or a student in your life deal with stress.

Exercise

Exercise is known to be a huge reliever of stress. By exercising you are getting out all of your negative energy instead of keeping it bottled up inside. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, therefore making us feel better when we are stressed. There are various types of exercise that can work for any type of person. Yoga and meditation is a very calming type of exercise that not only gives your muscles a workout but also your brain. It has been proven to help with mental health. Similar exercise options are pilates or barre. If you need a more high impact exercise you can try something like running, spinning, boxing, aerobics, step, dance or interval training, etc. You could even get your exercise from walking! Take a walk around the neighborhood or plan a destination rather than driving. Meet up with a friend or two to make it a social affair.  You can even take a hike. It is a covid safe activity! Mask up even if you don’t feel safe around others or are at risk.

Self Care (Me Time)

Do what makes you feel less stressed! This varies from person to person but is called self-care. Take time to concentrate on yourself and make a conscious effort to do it. Most people don’t and it can make a difference. Especially for students. If calling your friend on the phone or seeing your girlfriends makes you happy, then take the time to do it. Your self-care may be going out on a date with your significant other or going to get your nails done. Reading a good book or watching your favorite movie or show are other examples. The difference here is that you are going out of your way to take the time to do these things.

Natural Remedies

Obviously, everyone wants to be safe and healthy. One way to accomplish that is to use natural remedies for stress. One very powerful tool recently available to the masses is CBD oil. You can use CBD oils to relieve stress. There are various types available, specifically Full Spectrum CBD oil, Broad Spectrum CBD oil, and CBD Oil isolate, that each offers a different makeup and use. Unlike its counterpart THC, CBD doesn’t cause any feelings of intoxication or the “high” you may associate with cannabis. Many people have had success with using CBD instead of using medication to treat anxiety and depression. Through some research, you will find the many medical benefits this natural remedy has. It may be the way to go to better your quality of life.

Besides the methods mentioned above, it is important to not ignore the problem but to actively find a solution. Students have a lot on their plates in general and to add a pandemic to it is troubling to most. Try and test out a few things to see if it helps and if not, move on. Find what works best for you.