Take a Breather - 5 Quick Ways to Refresh and Recharge

Sometimes, some of the most mundane activities in your daily routine can be the much needed stress reliever of the day. After making a promise to myself about taking my steps toward wellness, I found some simple ways to release energy and rest myself in moments when I feel too overwhelmed. This has been especially helpful as I slowly near finals week! 1.) Take a walk around the block - When I feel like I can concentrate on something and my mind's in a jumble, I grab my jacket and take a quick walk around the block. It gets the blood flowing and some fresh air in the lungs. Plus, it's more productive than Facebook surfing, right? 2.) Emails stop at 11 pm - I get about 250 - 300 emails daily. So I've started implementing the rule where I force myself to close my email for the night after 11 pm. It gives me time to unwind for the night without pressing issues that need to be dealt with before I go to bed. If someone has an emergency, I assume they'll just call me. (For some 11 pm seems pretty late... but as a college student, 11 pm is early enough. haha) 3.) Youtube - So I believe that Youtube is a pretty horrible way of wasting time... BUT, I also do feel that it could be used for good. Watching one short 3 minute Youtube clip is a pretty nice way to unwind and get a laugh. My personal favorites are musicians who make lovely covers. Here's a video of two of my friends, singing "Stay With You" by John Legend, that got my day going yesterday. 4.) Grab coffee with friends - There's a very nice outdoor coffee stand about a 30 second walk from my dorm that has an extremely friendly staff. I just call up one of my friends when I need a break and head over to the coffee shop to grab a quick drink. On hot days, an Italian Soda does the trick. On cold days - my favorite has become a Chai Latte Jolt (a chai latte with a shot of espresso. not too sweet, not too bitter). And good company always helps me relax. 5.) A hug - Give a hug, get a hug, just hug. While some schools are banning hugging like mentioned in this New York Times Article (are hugs really "dangerous territory"!?), hugs are a simple way to communicate. And as past Intent blog posts have mentioned, the human touch is a powerful thing! What do you do for a quick breather?