Students have many different things that help their minds feel at peace. A few of the main things that were voted for on a recent poll that helps students are talking with their friends (or simply being in the presence of someone who has a calming energy), listening to music, and/or being out in nature doing their own thing.

     Harford Tech junior Nathan Bodis says the things that calm him are his friends and mountain biking. Bodis says, “at 30 [miles per hour] going towards a tree, the only thing I can think about is me and my bike.”

     He continues, “I don’t think about the things that are giving me stress, I don’t think about anything else because I can’t or else; I end up in a tree and then a hospital. I know it sounds counterintuitive as to how it calms me, but it helps take my mind off everything.”

     Junior Megan Hauer says, “music calms me. When I’m listening to it, it takes my mind off everything I’ve been stressing about.”

    She says, “it depends on my mood what I listen to. If I’m sad, then I listen to Conan Gray or Coldplay. But if I’m trying to be in a good mood, I listen to Taylor Swift or anything country.”

     Hauer continues, “I also like to read, mainly Colleen Hoover. Her books are typically filled with plot twists so they keep me focused on what’s going on in the book rather than my life.”

     Bodis says, “[Brookelyn Priebe], Claudia Pfaff, Megan Hauer and Drue McLean calm me down. Since I don’t get to see them very much, when I do see them, it makes me happy. And friends actually help me while biking distracts me.”

     Senior Gavin Moxley says the things that help when he is stressed are going outside and getting fresh air, listening to music, going for drives, talking to his family, and working out. The main artists that he listens to when wanting to calm down are Zach Bryn, The Backseat Lovers, the Lumineers, and Tyler Chiders.

     Moxley says the best things that help him are “listening to music and talking to family. I just try to talk about their days and plans to do stuff.”

     He continues, “while being outside, just the fresh air and watching everything in nature is like a mental rest.”

     Junior Emily Mickens says, “gum helps me, and so does music help me when I’m stressed. It blocks off all the outside noise and really listen to a little bit of everything.” She continues, “I mainly listen to indie rock though.”