Meditation is one of the many ways people learn to cope and handle daily struggles and stress. Photo courtesy of Pikbest.

  Life has its ups and downs, and students at San Luis Obispo students are all-to familiar with this. People need ways to be able to handle stress and difficulties they face, and the way they deal with it depends on their personality and preferences. 

  One way students cope with stress is through physical activity and exercise. Activities like walking, hiking, biking, and so many more, release endorphins to our brain, which help manage emotions and stress. 

  “I go on hikes and walks a lot, it definitely helps me get my mind off of things like college and all that,” said SLOHS alumni Fritz Wozniak.

  Another way students can help alleviate stress is by engaging in hobbies and fun activities. Some of the common activities students engage in include: video games, listening to music, board games, among other activities. These activities release dopamine into the brain, giving feelings of motivation and even euphoria. 

  “I play games and listen to music a good amount, it calms me down and is definitely fun and entertaining,” said junior Julien Sheetz. 

  Lastly, meditation and prayer are ways students can relieve stress in both religious and non-religious ways. Both methods are proven to alleviate negative emotions and thoughts, and if you are religious, helps you become closer to whatever deity or higher power you believe in. 

  “When I recognize my emotions or stress level are becoming too much, I do short breathing exercises.  This calms me down in the moment, and I find my emotional equilibrium stays with me for the rest of the day after that,” said psychology and Latin teacher Chad Timm. 

  Tigers, managing stress is one of the most important and vital things we do as people. So whether you exercise, play games, or meditate, or anything in between, it is invaluable to our wellbeing and success. 

Sources: pikbest.com, healthdirect.gov, unr.edu