With Covid-19 around causing everyone’s world to be changed significantly, stress has been put onto many. Our world has changed in multiple ways for everyone. We went from going to school at 7 in the morning to now barely waking up at 9 to open a Chromebook for period 1. Now when we go to the store we have to make sure we have our mask or risk having to run back to our car to retrieve it every time. And finally, every one of us has had to learn how to deal with losses, whether it be jobs or loved ones. 

 It is inevitable to have stress during this year-long pandemic and it is important to maintain your mental health. Here are just three out of many more ways that could help you to reduce your stress. 

Meditating has many personal benefits and is quite easy to do. On Youtube, they even have guided meditations for beginners. It is quite easy to meditate. It just takes a few steps. You sit or lie down comfortably with your eyes closed. You clear your mind and focus on your breathing and the nothingness in your mind. Focus on how the body moves as you inhale and exhale. Although there is no right or wrong way to meditate these are just a few easy steps. Enhancing your self-awareness, controlling anxiety, building skills to manage stress, and reducing negative emotions are just a few pros of meditation.

Painting is another way to relieve stress. A study by Drexel University came out saying that creating art can reduce stress-related hormones throughout the body. Painting allows the mind and body to relax while you only focus on one thing, which is to paint. Craftsmanship engagement lightens anxiety, uneasiness, stress, and depression. 

Going outside every day for at least thirty minutes is found to restore mental energy. Vitamin D keeps up your energy levels and enhances your mood. It’s good to be surrounded by a different environment. Fresh air, rather than stuck in your room doing schoolwork or watching your siblings can be a blessing. A simple moment of silence with the sun hitting your skin tends to put the mind to ease and the body at rest.  

Meditation, painting, and/or making crafts, as well as taking a step outside every day are just a few of the many ways that can help relieve stress. It is important to work on self-care and manage your mental health if not every day than weekly. These exercises will not take too much time out of your day and are easy to do.