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You’re stressed. You’re preparing to be stressed. You’re bored and realized that examining the coping mechanisms of Development Communication practitioners (some of which may be your friends or even classmates) is a good waste of time. For one reason or the other you’re here reading this, and your attention and time is a valuable thing.

With that in mind, let me proceed with this short, misleading, and hopefully entertaining guide on how to manage stress. Pictures may not be fully representative of what I am trying to say, heck some would say they’re completely unrelated, but it’s all up to interpretation.

1. TRAVEL AROUND!

One often neglects to pay attention to their physical needs. The body is a temple, after all, and one’s mental state is directly influenced by their physical state. When I had a rough time, I would go out at night and jog around UPLB, specifically through Pili Drive. Losing yourself in the pleasant ambiance of the surrounding rice fields is a surefire way to help relieve at least some of your stress.

2. DO WHAT YOU LOVE MOST!

I’ve got no idea what you’re into, but if you’re anyone from anywhere I’m sure you’re into something. For me, those things would be video games and board games. When playing something like League of Legends I can lose myself to the experience and forget some of the stress that’s been affecting me. Of course, this won’t really help for a more intense problem. It’s a distraction, and not a very healthy one at that. Still, it’s one hell of a good distraction, and sometimes that’s what we need.

3. BOND WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

When in times of trouble, nothing helps more than a good old support system. People or animals or whatever, anyone and anything that’s willing to help you out when you’re struggling is a boon that cannot be undermined. Protip: Be sure to return the favor when they need it too!

4. STOP PROCRASTINATING!

Stop! Procrastinating! You’ll have to do these things anyway, so just do it as soon as you can! You won’t believe how much unnecessary stress is caused by YOU putting something off. You can make all these excuses and reasons why you couldn’t do it, but at the end of the day you’re the one that’s going to be paying for it.

5. CALM DOWN!

Finally, all these tips and tricks are only there to help you remove your stress. At the end of the day, you will still have to actually calm down. This is up to you now, and all the things above may be all you need, but then again it may not be enough. You’re a smart person. Go figure it out.

It was a breath of fresh air when my friends urged me to finish a certain anime they have been eyeing for a while. It was a universe with a typical story line similar with the everyday I endure in the University of the Philippines. The moment you leave the dormitories, the same danger exists in the world where Demon Slayers combat species alien to humanity. With every stroke of a pen in note taking, the effort is equated to an every blade broken against a powerful entity. With every step towards the necessary – studying to our full extent and complying with requirements, it is a reenactment of a deadly scenario in the middle of training and improvement.

Studying in UPLB is not a walk in the Park. (Well, technically, we can choose between the Carabao Park or Freedom Park.) There will be days one cannot find themselves in the shadows portraying their insecurities and traumas. It is also undeniable our bodies love the attention and linger more in people they find as “home”. The simplest of things, may it be through poetry, prose or body language, it could cause uncalled for tears. Mood is rapidly changing and it knows no gender . Occurrences our mind doesn’t have full control of, especially during times we see ourselves in a bad light, when we are all just perpetually confused on what to do next, are normal no matter whose psychology we choose.

In connection with the highly-anticipated series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, I wish to derive my own version on “how to chill” through the existing breath styles featured both in the anime and manga. Similar with how they used the technique in order to surpass different obstacles and ordeals to defeat the antagonist and its goons, I wish to relay the same impact. The premise of the latter revolves in a universe one wouldn’t want to be part of and yet, we see the difficulty of surpassing UP’s standards in the battle against beings unknown of their origin and intentions. Nonetheless, I desire to be a “Pillar” figure, a woman of influence who have constantly maintained full focus on my breathing styles (on how to chill).

Breath of Water Fifth Style: The Merciful Rain of a Dry Day

Ah, yes, reading has made wonders. It is so often for me to not enjoy scanning and skimming through (academic) readings I am least interested in. More often than not, I search PDFs of novels and books, mostly on Romance and Psychology. Whenever I am stressed in school or I happened to experience a score I am not satisfied with, I jump on bed, hug a pillow and proceed in reading until three in the morning. I am quite impatient and somehow, I do not stop half-way not unless my eyes start to get heavy. Reading as a form of “chill” is one of my favorite habits keeping my mind hydrated with an addition to vocabulary, creativity and dopamine. As of now, I am currently reading “The Courage to be Disliked” written by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.

Breath of Sound Fifth Style: Symphony of Shrill Strings

I do not have a specific playlist in mind but, music in general is a form of escape. It is one of my few getaways whenever I am at my lowest and darkest. Depending on my mood, I establish a playlist that could boost myself holistically as I compose a moment I think I deserve first and foremost. Listening to music is as if entering a museum you have no idea what is it about, a gallery you never knew who the photographer is, a home you’ve renovated recently . It is a journey to a world he/she created with a dash of familiarity on repeat and a pinch of excitement on shuffle. Whenever I am stressed, a unique way of ” chill” I often do is forcing to release tears through emotional and heartwarming music. I recommend Seventeen’s Hug and Nu’est’s Happy Until Now for starters!

Breath of Wind Seventh Style: Gale – Sudden Gusts

“Tara puntahan natin ‘yung 268.” I am in love with thrift shops and technically everything that could enhance a home’s interior or simply hoarding additions in my dusty art supplies compartment. This common form of chill brings my feet anywhere it sees as fascinating and helpful. Even with a long list of quizzes and home work in need to be done in a flash, you’ll find me on a cold night, roughly at eight in the evening, strolling and analyzing items I have no intention to buy in the craft store. When stressed, or just in the mood thinking I deserve to chill, I am one with the wind. I am everywhere.

Breath of the Beast Eighth Fang: Pig Assault

“Saan tayo kakain?” Everyday, that is the million dollar question, most especially after triumphantly finishing the week. I made it a habit to eat whatever I like most especially when I know I deserve such a reward. It is a common practice that becomes so special with the people you share it with, and still becomes one when applied alone. One time, I have shared a night of movies and stories together with my block mates and it was extremely fun to not omit the painful smile despite the academic pressure. Eating and hanging out with friends is just one of the few “chill” moments that could never go wrong.

Breath of Love First Style: Shivers of First Love

Ah, going home. “Uwing uwi na ako!” Although I might come off as insensitive towards my friends who haven’t visited their homes for a while, I am a hundred percent careful to do so. It’s just that, spending time with my family is the least I could do to motivate myself and continue this journey I have prayed for a long time. UPLB is humorless. It is a fun regardless. However, the act of going home every single wee k just gives me more reason to continue my battles and obtain victory in the end. For again, this victory I am constantly aiming for is not for me. It is for my family.

Besides the fact that every week is a stressful week, the midterms are somewhat the semesters start of the renowned hell week of UP. The midterms are mainly compose of numerous quizzes, exams, and activities or group works, this is where the ‘rising action’ of the stress of the semester starts before going to the climax of the hell week. 

Of course, us students, cannot handle multiple load of activities, quizzes, and exams, since we need to have balance between our self, and the environment around us. So naturally, we look for a way to have all the negativity of the stress that surrounds us and how to cope and adapt to the stressful times of the midterms.

EAT!

Of course we eat three time a day, at the very least, and it is needed for our body to be readily able to handle the day without any sort of blemishes of sickness and hunger. What I mean by eat, is that, fill to your hearts desire to any of the craving you have. This is one of the proven ways of destressing in times of heavy task and workloads. In eating, there is right or wrong in what you consider as delicious, as long as you treat yourself till you have the contented to your hearst desire.

Have a walk with fresh air

We have been graciously gifted with a wonderful atmosphere and location here in UPLB. Sitting at the foot of the beautiful Mt. Makiling, the fresh air of the mountain brings calmness to everyone who sits and relax at the parks of UPLB. And when stress takes its toll, take a scenic walk around the campus and enjoy the fresh air that the university gives off, and appreciate the view of the campus itself, and have a quiet time with yourself while taking in the winds of Mt. makiling.

Watch

Enjoy yourself with a series of anime and/or dramas that makes you intrigue, laugh, cry, and smile. Watching some series makes you relieve of the stress of the realities at the university. Of course there should be some consideration on how much time should everyone spend on watching their beloved anime and/or dramas. However, we still can enjoy ourselves in watching and have the stress from our minds be replace by satisfaction and pleasure.

SLEEP!

Every day from Monday to Sunday, we experience sleep on a daily basis, ranging from eight to ten hours. However, UP students, normally get six to eight hours of sleep, sometimes even lower,  according to my own experience. So when stressful times come, and that is inevitable in our current state and in the university itself, sleep is the natural and BEST way of relieving anything related to or in accordance to stress.

Any student or professional can see that working upon the multiple loads for one’s plan or goal can really stress themselves out.

For students, this has always been a continuous feeling in their academic life. Assignments, activities, projects, and those personal goals are what gives them the feeling that one cannot completely work greatly again for the things they work upon. Add deadlines into the mix and you get an overly stressed out individual at hand.

Surely, the things you work upon are really stressful, but try to take time to squeeze yourself out of the chaos and take time to relax and chill out.

Relaxation is an activity which helps to release tension upon the body; whether it happens physically, emotionally, or mentally. By relaxing, you are able to calm yourself and rewiring the mind to become organized which in turn helps to become more productive in working upon your activities and tasks.

That is why here are some tips that you can adopt in your habit for you to be able to chill, as taught by the lovely “White Chicks”.

Eat your heart out.

Food has always been a great buddy when you feel alone or stressed out. It helps to give you energy after a tiring day; empowering you to work for the days ahead.

Just an example, chocolate and coffee helps to calm the system and stimulate the body to become productive again.

Play your favorite game.

Science has also proven this idea that playing games can relieve your stress and make you feel better. Games help by occupying your time and letting yourself de-stress by playing in another world. Just make sure you don’t let your games consume your time in making your assignments and activities.

Stretch and dance!

Who says dancing isn’t relaxing? By performing various movements while following the beats of the music, your body gets stretched which in turn relaxes those joints and muscles that have been immobile for some time.

For some, dancing has been a way for them to relax. Making random movements along the rhythm of the songs help you to release those physical tensions within your body.

By this way, you are able to get loose and make some moves!

Spend time with your friends and family.

It’s always a good moment to relax with the people you know. By talking with the people you love, you are able to release those stressful nerves and have them help you with positive messages of and conversations which you’ll surely enjoy.

It is even great to talk with people whom you know have the same thing you experience; at least in this way you are able to share those feelings and convert them into happy thoughts.

Treat yourself.

And most importantly, always treat yourself. After working for such a heavy week, it is important for you to treat yourself in anyway that you like, whether it is by shopping, organizing, or any of the tips mentioned above.

Giving yourself a reward helps you to become motivated to work for another week to come by.

So, what are you waiting for? Don’t just sit there and be like a Vandergald stressing herself out of the moment, be like a Wilson gal who never takes stress a part of her life!

Inspiration: White Chicks (2004)

Sources: Giphy and Tenor

It’s been one hell of a midterms season for us and your body gets used to constant stress. This might even result in you forgetting to de-stress, or worse, forgetting how to de-stress. So I am here to teach you, how to toggle your chill on.

You can’t get stressed if there’s nothing to stress you out. The prerequisite to de-stressing is getting rid of what stresses you. Setting your priorities correctly, acting upon them and making sure your head is clear, is what will allow you to get rid of your stress using the tips that will follow. A clear mind will always rest well.

A Zen mind will allow you to rest easy. Do nothing that involves stress, or get as far away as possible from whatever stresses you. Anxieties can come from anywhere and everywhere, they will arise at the most unexpected times, and even if you know your requirements are all clear, it can feel like they aren’t. So do everything in your power to get away from anything that can trigger this anxiety, get away from campus, mute group chats, maybe mute notifications from Google Classroom and Edmodo. Find what works and do it.

Easy does it, slow things down in your life after you’re secure. This helps especially after you’ve just finished studying for an exam coming up. Relaxing to retain information can be done by slowing your daily life down. Multitask less, worry about less things, and pay attention to less of the talks your batchmates might be having about the requirements they didn’t do. This will help you rest, and make better decisions when it comes to the crucial stuff.

And finally, just sleep. If you can’t sleep, fake it till you make it; it will get to you eventually. Sleeping is the most fool proof, most effective form of not only ignoring your responsibilities, but in this case, ignoring your stress. Sleep long, and sleep often. Keep yourself energized, but make sure you don’t get lazy.

That wraps it up for how to toggle your chill on. There are a lot of ways, and it’s usually on a case-to-case basis, but these are what works for me, and generally for everyone. Good luck isko! Padayon!

If there is one thing all college students have in common, it would probably be the never-ending amount of stress we all feel every week. Whenever a hell week would seemingly be over, we would be slapped by another wave of exams and requirements, and it would feel as if the stress would never truly run out. This is why getting those rare acads-free days is one of the best things to happen during the semester.

So, how do we seize and maximize those days for unwinding? Here are a few of the things I do on my acads-free days to help you out.

1. Clean.

Whenever I’m in the middle of a hell week, cleaning is definitely at the very bottom of my priorities. With the pile of deadlines and exams I have to face, I no longer have the time nor the energy to even think about cleaning. This is why on acads-free days, I make it a point to clean and organize the dorm. Not only will this help me stay on the good side of my dorm mates, this also minimizes the feeling of stress I get whenever my environment is too cluttered. Plus, a clean workspace also helps us think more clearly.

2. Eat.

Hell weeks often involve tight schedules wherein we try to cram as best as possible before the deadline or the exam. It’s no wonder a lot of students also prioritize finishing their requirements instead of eating, which is why on my day-offs, I also tend to pig out a lot. Although this can be done alone, it might help reduce our stress more if we also eat with our friends, or with our families if we are able to go home for the weekends.

3. Sleep.

Hell weeks also often mean pulling all-nighters and functioning on caffeine only, which is why it’s always a good idea to catch up on sleep during acads-free days.

Realistically speaking though, it’s extremely rare to go a day without any academic-related things nipping at our heels. At most, we might get days that are relatively less-stressful than the others, wherein we might have less work to do. So for days like those, here are a few not-so time consuming activities we can squeeze into our schedule.

1. Listen to music.

I’ve always found it comforting to have several playlists to suit my varying moods. For others, music can be a great 2-5 minute break from the real world, or a quick way to uplift their mood when they are stressed.

2. Take a quick stroll.

Whether that be to the nearest fast food restaurant or carinderia, it’s always helpful to get off our butts and go outside for a short while, especially when our brains already feel like mush from all the studying we’ve been doing. This is also perfect for the non-sporty types who cannot squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise into their schedule.

3. Watch an episode of a well-loved series.

During hell weeks, I find it hard to get invested into a new series which is why I often just rewatch episodes of the series I’ve already watched several times. EXTRA TIP: find a series with motivational characters, preferably those who have the same ambitions or fields of interest as you are, and make that your go-to TV series. In my case, I always watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy whenever I’m stressed, because not only does this remind me of my goal, this also brings back my lost productivity because of how motivating the characters are.

4. Remember to slow down every once in a while.

College will often feel like a race with too-fast runners, and it will be easy to succumb to the feeling of never being able to catch up. However, we must remember that though college feels like a race for the brightest and the quickest, it actually isn’t. It’s also for the strongest– those who are resilient and patient enough to work steadily to the finish line.

When I entered college, I was consumed with the thought that stress will be a friend of mine. Assignments, quizzes, exams, and other academic things will eat up my time and eventually lead me to stress. Anxiousness of not meeting the deadlines, not passing the exams, or not reaching my desired grades also add up to what I feel. However, I realized that focusing and worrying so much on these things will just lead me to more problems. The idea of taking a break was not an option for me at that time. I thought that it will just consume my time and I would rather focus it on other things.  I realized that sometimes in our college life, we need to take a break to relax and rejuvenate our mind, body and spirit.  Taking a break increases my productivity and release me from the things that I overthink.

The following are the list of things that I do for relaxation and to relieve stress.

Listen to relaxing music.

Whenever I feel down for feeling so helpless doing my studies, I listen to relaxing music in Spotify or Youtube. The soothing melody and tune of the music releases the tension that I feel in my body. The lyrics in some songs like Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Don’t Stop Believing, and Skyscraper also lifted my mood due to their motivational and inspiring lyrics. One song that will always push me to strive harder is the UP Naming Mahal. Whenever I listen to this song, it reminds me of my purpose in staying and choosing this university.

Go for walk in nature.

There’s nothing more refreshing than looking at the view of UPLB during mornings and afternoon. The luscious green trees and plants relaxes my body and mind. The fresh air calms my senses. Nature surely brings contentment and comfort to me.

Watch my favorite K-Dramas and American Series.

Ever since, watching K-dramas and American series has been helpful for me to unwind. The kilig that I feel whenever I watch romantic K-dramas somehow diverted my mind to focus on other things. The laughter that I make whenever I watch American sitcoms like F.R.I.E.N.D.S also eases my mood. Their healing power surely relieves my stress.

Read a book.

Reading a novel also helps me to reduce the stress that I feel. The words comfort me, and the story brings me to a new world far from what I experience. I prefer reading light and inspiring novels such as of Mitch Albom.

Spending time with my loved ones.

There’s nothing more comforting than spending my time with my loved ones. Since I am far from my hometown, Masbate, Quezon City is the nearest home I can consider since it is my aunt’s residence. I would go there every weekend or when I don’t have any major exams or assignments to do. The bonding with her and my cousin always makes me feel at home.

Connecting with my body can be a deeply relaxing and liberating experience. We live in our minds, lost in the thoughts of many things, that we often forgot how to be free from stress. Chilling out can be so relieving and it can boost our productivity to stay on track.

It’s November! The fourth month of the first semester of my first year as a college student. And yet, here we are talking about taking a break. Here I realized how demanding Devcom is – physically, mentally, and socially. Since it is like a mix of social work and media, everything you do counts. There are a lot of things to consider like putting premium on accuracy and truth, staying true to your advocacy, and a whole lot more. Devcom is a very general discipline indeed.

As a freshman, I realized that rest should already be on my schedule. It’s easy to forget to breathe and just keep rolling, but that attitude will only make things worse. So, here are few things I do after a long week at school.

1. Sit Awhile. I love this phrase. Do you still remember a time when you just sat with someone or even alone and just breathed freely, unwary of all the cares of this world? Elbi is a wonderful place for that. Just you and your soul, in sync. No phones, no distractions.

This is my favorite hack when I feel tired. There are days when I will really drop what I’m doing and sit awhile. I pray or lift a melody, talking to God and to myself. Drinking in my surroundings and the other things that I have missed due to busyness. It’s a wonderful experience, letting God speak to me and show me things. Sitting awhile opens our eyes and our hearts make room for something that we really, really need. So make time to be still, everyday. Let it be your kind of rest.

2. Converse freely with friends. Dorm becomes a home because of friends. One thing I look forward to is to talk to my dorm mates about the day. Sometimes, we will just catch ourselves talking and laughing for hours. It’s so fun! A live and personal chat is better than Messenger. I love how you can be open and honest to a friend about any particular topic. We often share insights and opinions about the future, about our dreams, our irritations… anything.

So be sure to make friends. Don’t be afraid to be known, because that is what we are made for. We are made for communion with other people. But also, choose who you share your heart to. You can be everybody’s friend, but not everybody’s best friend. And as an iron sharpens iron, so a friend influences a friend.

3. Go home. Dorothy said it. Going home to my province, to my city, to my family makes me feel like myself again. The travel time is also wonderful and relaxing (except the traffic). I like sitting on a bus, unmindful of the time and just taking in the surroundings. I like looking around while doing nothing. Hehe. But nothing beats the sense of familiarity of being in my own territory.

It takes me off the role as a student and gets me in the role as a daughter and a sister. I miss the free food! And so I make it a point to always go home every weekend, even if it’s costly. Besides, I have other responsibilities. And taking a break from school every week is a must. Even God rested.

Keep it in mind – play, then pause, before you hit play again. Rest is not just for the tired or for the exhausted. It is a necessity, like water. It replenishes us and keeps us alive. Rest, regardless if you are beat or not. Rest, because your body, mind, and soul needs some time to be still and breathe.