I bet you’ve been stressed more than once during 2020. So, what are ways you can reduce your stress level? Well, there are many ways to do so. There are studies that have proven doing certain activities can help. One of which is writing. A study at Harvard states, “writing about your emotions may ease stress or trauma.” Whether you keep a journal or just write on paper, it can help you understand your feelings clearly. 

Another great way to feel less stressed is just by simply talking to people. Talking to your peers can help you be more comfortable with others and your surroundings. You may have found yourself not talking to anyone during these months. “People really underestimate how toxic prolonged loneliness can be and unfortunately many people are in that position and are very isolated due to being quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic,” says David A. Merrill, psychiatrist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. So, talk to your friends and family. You can talk about the impact of COVID-19, or completely avoid it.

You can also go outside more. Going outside helps reduce stress and anxiety, too. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a large majority of people’s lives are spent indoors. Have you spent more time in front of a screen or going outside the walls of your house? I can bet which one it is. Then again, we can’t really blame ourselves. We’ve practically been asked to lock ourselves in our houses and not come out until things are “better.” Well, when are things exactly going to get “better?” Our mental health may not if we don’t do something about it. So, write what YOU feel down, talk to people, go on a walk. The possibilities are endless.