At some point in life, everyone has been stressed about one thing or another. However, the difference is in how that stress is dealt with. For some, this method is taking pills to provide relaxation, but for others, all it takes is a short exercise session. This said, many students find that playing sports is an outlet to help them calm down and relieve stress.

Freshman Hayden Kirwan, a cross country and track runner, uses running to help him chill out before continuing work.

“[Running is] a way to stay in shape that also has a good team aspect to it, and it’s a good way to destress. If you’re working on homework or something and need to take a break, [running] is a good option,” Kirwan said.

For Kirwan, running is a great way to relax and cool off.

“If you don’t really have any music or anything else but you’re running, it kind of helps you to calm down and slow down a bit,” Kirwan said.

Freshman Sydney Shaver, who has been participating as a member of the track team since middle school, is another student that finds running therapeutic.

“When I have rough days, or just sometimes when I’m crammed with a lot of school work, I just need to take my mind off of things. I’ll just run for maybe twenty minutes and it really relaxes me and makes me feel better after,” Shaver said.

Junior Jenny Arteaga runs indoor track and plays soccer. They both began as hobbies, however have become a method of relieving stress.

“I started playing soccer when I was five or six, and that was mostly because I wanted a hobby, but both running and soccer have become an outlet for me for all my stress with school, or if anything happens between relationships with family or my friends. That’s where I get it all out: on the field or on the track,” Arteaga said.

Both sports that Arteaga participates in provide a distraction, and are overall a way for her to relax.

“Running just helps me get my mind off stuff, especially if I listen to music while I’m on a run. It really helps me relax. Soccer definitely helps me distract myself because I’m not focusing on anything else and my mind is fully on the game and nothing else. In those ninety minutes, my focus is all there and I don’t have to worry about anything,” Arteaga said.