Stress Management

Learning about Stress Management Changed my life

I found tools that ultimately changed the way I experience both stress and life in general.

Leah Fryar
Leah Fryar Aug 6, 2018
39
views

It's Monday morning when you wake up and realize you overslept. You are late to class or work and then proceed to worry about everything else that seems like you will never be able to get done during your busy day. If you are anything like me, this may sound like a typical week. Perhaps you feel stressed right now just thinking about this scenario or the week ahead of you.

To learn about the stress I was experiencing on a regular basis, I decided to sign up for a stress management course. In the beginning, signing up for a stress management class seemed like a great choice because it was a topic I did not know much about. I had no idea at the time that the class would help change the way I view life's events and stress in general.

Now I regularly engage in activities to better manage my stress levels as a result. I could go into a bunch of detail on how high levels of acute stress can negatively impact our body and overall life, but let's focus more on what can actually be done about it. Here are some of my favorite ways to decompress that you can try too!

When it comes to life's major stressors, it may take some time to understand what stress relieving techniques work best for you. I learned that partaking in activities I found enjoyable were the most relaxing and beneficial. Physical activity is one of my favorite ways to decompress.

Exercising is a wonderful choice if you enjoy being physically active or have a general interest in getting started. The release of endorphins that occurs while exercising can leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Also, exercise can improve memory- which just might help you improve your grade on your next exam or accomplish tasks more efficiently at work, too. I personally enjoy doing any activities I can outdoors so it is important to try to find what you love to do.

Deep breathing, meditation, and yoga are also great tools to utilize when wanting to become more relaxed or even more focused on the goals you need to accomplish. A lack of sleep can be a major potential side effect of having high levels of stress and these three techniques can even aid in falling asleep faster if done so in the evening. In order to try these, you do not have to be extremely physically fit which makes them very versatile.

There are also a number of apps you can use to try meditation for free such as Calm and Headspace. The Nike Training Club app is free as well and includes both exercise and yoga routines that you can follow along with. This app has activities that are considered beginner, intermediate, and advanced to fit your personal needs.

Feeling sore and experiencing pain in various parts of your body may be the result of the tension resulting from stress. I have experienced a lot of discomfort in both my neck and my shoulders, so the final technique that I love and use on a regular basis is called progressive relaxation.

This process involves tensing the muscle groups you want to target momentarily and then relaxing them afterward. I tend to contract or raise my shoulders up to my ears for about 10 seconds and then relax them for the same amount of time. Repeating this process for even just ten minutes can train your mind and body to recognize the next time you are feeling the tension from stress by knowing how your muscles tense up when stressed. Identifying signs of stress can help you to eventually minimize them.

I expected to take the stress management course as an elective last year that was fairly easy just to get by, but I ended up walking away with tools that ultimately changed the way I experience both stress and life's events in general. Now it's your turn to perhaps take a class yourself to become more educated or do an activity you enjoy that will make you happier and healthier. Go on, give it a try, and experience for yourself a life with minimal stress!

Leah Fryar
Leah Fryar Aug 6, 2018
At East Carolina University

Popular Right Now

10 Abnormally Normal Things About College

Some stuff just doesn't fly in the real world.
Caitlin Carlson
Caitlin Carlson Mar 1, 2017
116936
views

College is a weird, weird place. For whatever reason, the young adults who are supposed to be cultivating their minds with all of the worldly knowledge available to them, seem to get away with quite a bit using the justification "it's college." Even the best students live abnormally while on the alien planet that is a university. So, while to us college students it may just seem like another day, here are ten things that are only normal in college.

1. Straight up theft.

In the future, if I walk into my forty-something-year-old neighbor's home and see a collection of stolen signs, stuff from the local restaurant, and property from the construction site down the road, I would definitely be concerned about the character of my neighbor. However, in college, people proudly display campus signs, traffic cones, or dining hall napkin dispensers that they have impressively commandeered - it's a cheap decoration and a great conversation starter.

2. All-nighters.

Maybe with the exception of parents of little babies, very few people willingly stay up for close to 24 hours on end. In the real world, if a friend came to you and said that they literally did not sleep the previous night, it's completely logical to be worried. On the other hand, when a friend in college says that he was up all night you laugh a little, give him an understanding pat on the back, and walk with him to the coffee line.

3. Atrocious eating habits.

Sometimes you don't have time to eat. Sometimes you order pizza at 2 in the morning. Sometimes you eat three dinners. Sometimes you diet. All I can say, is thank goodness that our metabolisms are decently high at this age.

4. Breaking and entering.

In high school, you hopefully knew everyone who entered your home. After college, hopefully, that's still the case. However, when you live in the middle of thousands of bored college students, people knock at your door, walk into parties, cut through your yard, and stop by without invitation or hesitation. It keeps life fun, but still not normal.

5. Calling mom when stuff goes down.

I really doubt a time will ever come that I don't need to call my mom for guidance on how to do something. But, hopefully the frequency of those calls with go down a little bit post-graduation. Maybe after four years of doing it on my own, I'll know how to fill out government forms, cook real dinners, and get stains out. But for now, I'm going to keep calling while I still can without seeming totally pathetic.

6. Being intoxicated at weird times.

Drunk at noon on a Friday is the quintessence of an alcoholic at any time - unless it's college. Not that this is necessarily a good thing, and it certainly doesn't apply to everyone, but there aren't many other places where people would instantly assume someone is intoxicated if they're acting even a little weird. I've even seen people drink in the library....

7. The messed up dating scene.



There are people who meet the love of their life at college and live happily ever after. They are people who meet the supposed love of their life at college and never talk to them again after Sunday. There are people who use Tinder. Hormones are high, freedom is bountiful, and football players are cute - what else needs to be said?

8. A warped sense of time.

The career I'm pursuing will require me to be at work by 7 am, five days a week. I am fully aware of this. Now, will I enroll in an 8 am next semester? Absolutely not - I'm not a demon. In college, nights often start at 10 p.m., dinners are eaten at 4, and mornings can begin anywhere from 8 to 2. We don't get that whole 9-5 idea.

9. Costumes... for no apparent reason.

High schoolers have a dress code. Adults have dignity. College students have fun. Here, people will wear a corn costume to get on ESPN, a fanny pack to get into a fraternity, or a tutu to match a theme party. Is it actually a weird thing, though? No one even blinks an eye.

10. Insanely close friends.

Name another point in your life when you live with your friends, study with your friends, drive with your friends, eat with your friends, go out with your friends, and even grocery shop with your friends. I'll wait. At college, it's easy for friends to seem like family because you're with them constantly. Love it or hate it, it's weird about college.

So, enjoy this weirdness while you can - it won't last forever!

ALSO SEE:

Uncensored Roommate Confessions!

Cover Image Credit: Matthew Kupfer
Caitlin Carlson
Caitlin Carlson Mar 1, 2017
At James Madison

Related Content

Connect with a generation
of new voices.

We are students, thinkers, influencers, and communities sharing our ideas with the world. Join our platform to create and discover content that actually matters to you.

Learn more Start Creating

I Am The Girl Who Always Gets What She Wants, And I’m Not Ashamed Of It

I will NEVER just "go with the flow."

Ana Paula Ricalde Muench
Ana Paula Ricalde Muench Apr 22, 2019
18
views

Ever since I was very, very young, my parents have taught me to fight for what I want. This doesn't mean that they spoiled me or that they caved whenever I threw a temper tantrum. I'm also not saying that they taught me not to take no for an answer, because everyone's entitled to their own opinions and points of views, and saying no is perfectly understandable in any circumstance. What I am saying is that they've always wanted me to take my future in my hands, mold it to whatever it is that I want it to look like, and work hard to get to where I want to go.

When I was eleven years old, I watched a documentary called "The Secret" with my dad for the first time. "The Secret" is a book, later turned into a documentary, which basically teaches you how to use the law of attraction. Simply put, the law of attraction is the ability to attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on. My dad told me he'd read the book before, and that he thought I was ready to learn how to use the law of attraction for my own good, even though I'd technically been using it for my entire life without even being aware of it. It's important to note that, when people first learn about the law of attraction, they tend to be pretty skeptical about it. Surprisingly, I wasn't skeptical at all, considering I'd always looked up to Walt Disney and his stories about magic.

At first, I used the law of attraction for things that might seem very small now, but back then I was so very excited to see that whatever I was doing was working in my favor. Whenever I really wanted something, like a light pink Nintendo DS, I would put it up on my vision board, I would visualize myself playing with it, and I would truly believe that I would get it, and so I did. Some people teased me for it, saying that I only got those things because my parents wanted me to believe in the law of attraction, and so they just bought me whatever it was that I wanted at the moment. But then it started turning into something way more powerful.

When I was seventeen, my family and I were planning to go to Disney World for Spring Break, and I really wanted my best friend to come with us. At first, it seemed like an impossible task, considering the fact that her mom had never even let her go on a weekend getaway with anyone, let alone fly to another country. I introduced my best friend to the law of attraction, and we both truly believed that she would come. She ended up coming on the trip with us, and to this day, we're still shocked about the fact that her mother caved and let her tag along.

As I've grown older, the law of attraction has always played a very important part in my thought process, and how I handle and react to things. When I was eighteen, I was able to gather all the strength I needed to break away from a very toxic relationship, and then I found a man who just casually happens to have every single thing I always thought my dream guy should have.

In January of last year, I decided that I would be applying for the Disney International College Program. It was truly fitting, considering the fact that Disney has always been one of my biggest passions in life, and also that I had been to Disney World countless times before. I felt truly prepared to take on this adventure, and so I started preparing my application. Nevertheless, the dates got mixed up, and my school advisor told me it was too late for me to send in my application. But I knew deep in my heart that I was going to move to Orlando. Two days after that, just like magic, my advisor told me that she could still let me apply if I sent in my application as quickly as possible. We all know what happened after that, considering I'm writing this from my apartment in Orlando.

All that magic comes with a price though, and lots of people have recently tried to undermine me. Some people, I guess, are just like black holes. They hate shiny things, and they go around trying to suck everyone else's light to fill up the void inside of them, but my fire is too strong, and therefore, it's impossible to put out. Some people just can't take how much I've accomplished, the things I've seen, the things I've done, the stuff I have, and the dreams I dream.

I've decided to stand my ground and let it be known, once and for all, that no matter what happens, I will always continue to fight and work for whatever it is that I want, no matter how big, small, unreachable or pointless it may seem to other people. What I want is what I get, and if someone doesn't like that about me, then that's their own problem to deal with, not mine. My life, my future, and my destiny are MINE to sculpt, and I will NEVER just "go with the flow."
Ana Paula Ricalde Muench
Ana Paula Ricalde Muench Apr 22, 2019
At Orlando, Florida

Related Content

Facebook Comments