Stressing Stress out
The sun is out and there's a slight breeze, it's 80* outside and so I can literally feel the warmth of the sun rays on my skin as I listen to music and write in my journal. I feel so happy and relaxed that all I can do is smile and take in the present moment. On my walk back to my dorm, I notice all the different colored flowers that are in bloom and I am filled with joy again. This is, at least to me, what it means to enjoy the little things, and enjoying the little things is how I deal with stress.
Granted, there are different levels of stress and in this moment I am feeling a new level of stress as I have two finals on Monday and one on Tuesday, and I seem to have zero motivation to study (don't worry mom, I will eventually force myself to learn how to graph parametric equations in the x-y plane, find when a Taylor series converges to its own function, and figure out how to set various reactions to each other so that I can find the rate of the slowest mechanism), but for right now I am so unmotivated and tired that I just need a solid couple-hour break.
The funny part about this whole situation is that a couple days ago I was not stressed at all, and whenever I felt a little stressed I would go outside and journal and then I would be overwhelmed with joy to be living in such a beautiful place. I knew that when I decided to go to college, I would be stressed. I mean I was stressed most of senior year. The thing is, stress is unavoidable, and some stress is even good for you! (WHAT?! ELLA, YOU ARE CRAZY. I DON'T FEEL GOOD WHEN I'M STRESSED. What are you thinking????? Lunatic). Okay, okay, I'm not saying you should start stressing about every little incident in your life, and become chronically stressed, but you know... if you weren't ever stressed, would you get anything done?
The important thing here is to learn how to deal with stress, as there are a plethora of ways to chose from:
Granted, there are different levels of stress and in this moment I am feeling a new level of stress as I have two finals on Monday and one on Tuesday, and I seem to have zero motivation to study (don't worry mom, I will eventually force myself to learn how to graph parametric equations in the x-y plane, find when a Taylor series converges to its own function, and figure out how to set various reactions to each other so that I can find the rate of the slowest mechanism), but for right now I am so unmotivated and tired that I just need a solid couple-hour break.
The funny part about this whole situation is that a couple days ago I was not stressed at all, and whenever I felt a little stressed I would go outside and journal and then I would be overwhelmed with joy to be living in such a beautiful place. I knew that when I decided to go to college, I would be stressed. I mean I was stressed most of senior year. The thing is, stress is unavoidable, and some stress is even good for you! (WHAT?! ELLA, YOU ARE CRAZY. I DON'T FEEL GOOD WHEN I'M STRESSED. What are you thinking????? Lunatic). Okay, okay, I'm not saying you should start stressing about every little incident in your life, and become chronically stressed, but you know... if you weren't ever stressed, would you get anything done?
The important thing here is to learn how to deal with stress, as there are a plethora of ways to chose from:
- Meditating/Breathing- While many believe that meditating is the act of sitting crisscross-applesauce on the ground, eyes closed, hands on the legs, chanting "ommmmm," many times this is not the case. Meditation can be as easy as closing the eyes and taking a deep breath, while counting to 5 for the inhale, then to 10, and then exhaling for 5. By closing the eyes, alpha waves will start to activate, and these alpha waves are associated with feelings of calmness. By counting the inhale and exhale, you are preoccupying your mind from your stressor, which again acts as a calming mechanism.
- Exercise- This is a great method when the stressor is large. Exercising releases endorphins, which make you happy, and many times when you feel happy, you feel less stressed. It also helps circulate oxygen to the brain. This makes you feel more alert and many times can be beneficial to problem solving.
- Journaling- I personally love journaling, especially because it's really nice to write down what is stressing me out and a lot of times when I write down what is bothering me, I can start thinking about ways to solve my stressors. Not to mention that writing down what is stressing me out really calms me down.
- Drawing/Coloring/Painting- There is something about rediscovering childhood loves that is so calming and refreshing. Maybe it's the fact that it brings you back to simpler days, when life was easy-breezy (beautiful), or it could be the fact that there goes no thought into these activities, you just let loose and create.
- Yoga- The bridge between meditating and exercise. Great for flexibility and mental clarity. Get's the mind off of the stressor, and focuses on the present.
- Being outside in nature- Just being outside for a few minutes everyday really helps with those happiness endorphin. Take a walk outside, breathe in fresh air, smile at the sky, go do a happy dance... doesn't matter just take a moment and look around at all that is here.
Obviously these aren't all... but these should help you somewhat if you're ever feeling stressed (I know they help me).
Being stressed is okay in moderation, so when it gets to be too much just sit back, take a deep breath, and know that whatever is creating the stress is not permanent.
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