A light mist covers the room, lavender scent hangs in the air and I unwind while reading my favorite book. This is how I relax.

Relaxation is one of the most important parts of the day. With having stress from school, work, and family, things can get overwhelming.

One of my main sources of stress would be school. I always strive to get good grades and try to be involved in many extracurriculars, but that has put a serious mental strain on me. Whenever I don’t try and relax I can’t do my work efficiently. My first course of action is to take a deep breath, make sure my work is done, and then I do some of my favorite things. Doing my favorite things like reading and baking helps me calm down because they put me in a place where I’m happy and with no stress.

In any general event that I’m stressed out, I like to make a plan or an outline. Planning out my day is a way to make sense of everything in times when everything is chaotic and stressful. Stress can a lot of times stem from the feeling of not having anything under control, so planning out what you’re going to do can take back that feeling of control. 

Furthermore, my stress accumulates most of the time in volleyball, I’m always trying to work my hardest and be perfect and that puts so much pressure on my shoulders. So to relax when I want peace of mind, I do a spa day. I take a bath with scented bath bombs and some Netflix. Afterwards, I put on stress relief lotion and a face mask and then I turn on my oil diffuser with lavender oil. 

Another big part of relaxation is eating healthy and exercising. Studies show that having a healthy diet and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can relieve and prevent tension. A lot of times that I feel stressed, I eat some fruit and go running and I feel much better.

Stress is a part of our daily lives and it can build up to cause serious health issues so finding ways to relax is always good for you. Even when you aren’t stressed, stress relief can help you prepare and better deal with stress in the future.