Cover photo by ymkaaaaaa, pixabay

With finals finishing up and the holidays arriving, everyone is looking forward to winter break and to unwind from stress while enjoying time with themselves or their family. Here are eight ways to relieve stress and anxiety and enjoy this winter break.

Listenting to Music

Music is known to improve people's moods and reduce physical and emotional stress levels, which is very beneficial to people who are trying to take a break from the stress they get from school. Some albums that people may enjoy is "Planet Her" by Doja Cat, PinkPantheress's album "To Hell With It", "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Ellish, and "Jubilee" by Japanese Breakfast. Some Christmas songs that everyone might know that you can enjoy this break is "All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey, "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" by Tony Bennet, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by the Temptations, and "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms.

Watching movies

With numerous people having different traditions and things they enjoy doing with family this break, watching movies with or without family is a great way to spend time. A couple of films and short films to watch include "Puparia" by Shingo Tamagawa, "Lu Over the Wall" directed by Masaaki Yuasa, "Venom: Let There be Carnage", "Spider-Man: No Way Home", and "Spirited Away" directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Some Christmas movies that may be enjoyable to watch during this winter break include "The Nightmare Before Christmas"(1993), "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas"(2000), "Gremlins"(1984), "Home Alone"(19990), and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964).

Baking Sweet Treats

With Christmas and Hanukkah coming up, many people are looking for new things to bake, or if they've never even baked at all, recipes that are easy to use. Here are some recipes for desserts you may have fun baking this winter break: Orange Milk Chocolate Cookies, Spice Brownies, No-Bake Nanaimo-bars, Mint Chocolate Oreo Fudge, and Gingerbread Cookies. Baking is also known to be an overall delightful experience and stress reliever, as it is fun to create something and see your results fresh out of the oven, giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Shows to Watch

With the amount of free time that comes with winter break, many look for things to do that are fun, like binging their favorite t.v shows and series. A few shows and T.V series that have already been released or are coming out this month include season 2 of the TV series "Euphoria", which comes out on Jan. 9, "The Book of Boba Fett" which starts streaming on Disney Plus on Dec. 29, "Station Eleven" which will be released onto HBO Max on Dec. 16, season 3 of "Lost in Space", and Part 6 of the anime "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure". Enjoying yourself by watching your favorite show is a great way to spend time, and can distract you from stress by giving you something fun to watch.

Journaling or Drawing

With stress from finals and school that may occupy many minds, journaling and drawing are great ways to take the time from your day to write about your thoughts and express them on paper. Looking at your journal entries or your art gives you the inspiration to start the day off better, and collect your thoughts so you can understand them better. Journals also help with setting goals for yourself, and keeping up with them, which allows you to reflect on how far you have come, and how you can keep going.

Decorating and Cleaning

From playing Christmas music while placing ornaments on a Christmas tree, to hanging up LED Christmas lights with reindeer statues in front of your home, preparing for the holidays is always enjoyable. However, while decorating for Christmas is always fun and relaxing to do during the holidays, cleaning is also known to relieve stress and anxiety by clearing the clutter from your room or home. Organizing areas of your room or home can give you more space and allow you to enjoy your break without worrying about the mess or clutter in your bedroom.

Hiking

Hiking is a great form of exercise for those who prefer it over running or an actual workout routine. It is known to also be a great stress reliever because walking for long periods of time in mountains and enchanting forests can be quite calming. Hiking involves being in the outdoors for a very long time and is fun to do with friends or family. It's additionally a good form of cardio, which strengthens your core and muscles.

Self-care

Self-care is important to take care of yourself and your mental and physical health. Whether it's using face masks, taking a bath, exercising or fixing your sleep schedule, self-care benefits you a lot and is an excellent mood booster and stress reliever. Taking the time out of your day to take care of yourself will instantly increase your mood and improve concentration and energy.