Stress shows up some way or another, whether it’s a good kind of stress, or a bad one. But during college, stress never seems to go away. So, in order to keep the stress levels to a minimum, I have come up with ways to cope with it better.

1) Exercise in a fun and healthy way.

Whether this means riding a bike through Bidwell Park with some friends or going to a yoga class at the gym. Just make sure to stay active. It can help clear the mind of any fogginess due to stress.

2) Confide in friends and maybe even family.

Seeking a friend’s shoulder to lean on and simply having someone you trust to talk to about everything can definitely help a lot. Just having someone close who can help through the most difficult situations is one of the most helpful advice I can give. It has always helped me to have someone there to talk to, even if they don’t say anything.

3) Seek professional help.

This is more for if you’ve tried as much as you can and the stress still won’t disappear. If that happens. It can be a bit intimidating to walk into a psychologist’s office. But when there does not seem to be anything else left to do, seeing a professional will definitely help. As Chico State students, there is a free counseling center right on campus! So no need to worry about having to pay for counseling.

Of course, there are many other ways of dealing with stress while in college, but these are just a few of the healthy ways of going about dealing with it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and have some fun every once in awhile!

Tara Miller can be reached at [email protected] or @chicojournalist on Twitter.