Welcome to the end of the term, OSU Beavers!! The term is almost over with (phew), and hopefully you’ve finally acclimated yourselves to the academic agenda of your life! Today, I want to give you a few tips on how to continue on the path to a successful year – whether it be academically, professionally and even personally.

Establishing healthy habits can protect you from the harmful (dreadful, really) effects of stress. As students, we know, first hand, the potential brutal effects of stress – so here are a few tips on how to curb those effects!

1. Keep in touch with family and friends!

A daily dose of personable socializing is a great remedy for the ‘blues’. Even if you aren’t feeling up to the socializing aspect of things – do it! Ever heard of the saying “a smile is contagious” – it’s true! The more you surround yourself with productive positivity, the more you’ll personally feel the positive effects.

The benefits of staying connected can range from feeling supported, staying mentally sharp, developing a more active lifestyle, reducing (overall) stress, and finally enhancing your sense of well-being and happiness. Woo Woo.

2. Engage in physical activity – DAILY

This is something I cannot emphasize enough!! Consistent daily activity will make a world of a difference, literally! It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, just 30 minutes a day of some light-moderate cardio will make a difference. I know most of you walk to and from campus multiple times of day – this is fantastic (and counts as light cardio), but setting aside 30 minutes a day (or even every other day) to do some moderate to rigorous exercise (cardio) not only accelerates your metabolism, but it also gives your entire body a chance to revive itself – leaving you feeling ‘pumped’ and ‘refreshed’!

3.  Accept the things you cannot change – Take Deep Breaths

Easier said than done. I know – but nevertheless, make a conscious effort to ‘chill’. Remember to take a few deep breaths, breath in through your nose, and out your mouth – this contraction of the lungs strengthens the respiratory muscles and improves the oxygen supply to your body. JUNK food consumption and erratic lifestyles end up causing lower oxygen supply within the body – which ends up making you feel tired and restless.

Deep breathing can – wait for it… DETOX the body. This one has been a head turner (lately) due to all of the detoxifying fads. How? A good supply of oxygen to your body helps flush out all of those toxins, which then also stimulates healthy and efficient body functioning. Woo Hoo!

One last thing on deep breathing (although I could go on forever) – regular deep breathing can actually help to reduce hypertension, fatigue, headaches, feelings of depression, panic, anxiousness (testing anxiety eh??), tension, hyperventilation etc.! I lied – one last thing; interested in sleeping better? Try taking a few prolonged deep breaths prior to sleeping. It relaxes the tension throughout your body, and slows the heart – enabling you to finally feel relaxed.

So, how does this help boost your performance academically and professionally?

There are a number of ways – but for the sake of length I’ll only list a few I find appealing:

*  Being able to manage stress enables you to take on more projects (because you’re completing previous projects) confidently, and execute them in an efficient and timely manner.

* It allows you to perform more efficiently – engage more effectively and empower others around you, thus creating a more productive working environment.

* Being healthy reduces physical and mental stress – reducing stress enables you to take on a whole new refreshed look at things going on in and around the workplace. It sparks creativity, innovation and advancement!

* Prepping for an interview?? The less stress you are feeling mentally and physically, the better the result will be for that interview – not only will you feel great, but the employer(s) will notice too.

* Studying away for an exam (or 5)?? Get ACTIVE. The more physical activity (and sleep) you pursue, the better memory recall you’ll have – that my friends, is a fact. That’s not to say go to the gym for hours on end and sleep the other part of the time – you have to actually put in the study time.

Happy Finals Week! Good luck and stay warm!

posted by Sydney Veenker, Career Assistant