This is the time of year when people are trying to figure out summer plans and finish up finals. Many peoples' hearts are racing and brains feeling like they are being pulled at constantly. A lot of people become stressed and don't know how to adjust to the situation that they are in. There is a never-ending amount of stress though that seems to continue to spill out into our lives even when school is not going on. I can attest that I seem to get overwhelmed even in the summer. Stress can come from literally anything. If we let it get to us too much, it goes into the dangerous zone for our well-being.

As an American, I think that we need to use more of the techniques of the Eastern cultures. The consistent rush to do something bothers me. It seems that one never wants to stop. It is better if we realize the resources that we have around us and take a couple steps back to appreciate those. I have used some techniques to help me take a couple steps back and not be so stressed all the time.

Writing journals

I have found that writing in journals helps me to say things that I cannot say out loud. It helps those hidden, built-up thoughts to get out and lower your stress levels. I like to read a little part of a book or the Bible and journal my thoughts out. It is a nice way to get things off my mind and put great things into my mind.

Yoga (or your favorite activity)

I find that going on YouTube and doing "Yoga with Adriene" is an easy way to calm down my day and not stress out about the simple things. However, it might not be for you; maybe you like to run, paint or read. Whatever helps you to take your stress level back down, try to do it a least a couple times a week.

Quiet time

Yes, there is still such a thing as quiet time. I can remember as a kid when my mom would tell me to just sit and be quiet. Everyone always takes “Netflix study breaks,” but is that really a break? Your mind is still working to process information on the screen and if you are just sitting in quiet you are actually resting your brain.

Stress will always be a part of your life. Just like anything else in your life though, once you accept it, things get a lot easier. I think that it gets easy to even push these three things to the side and not do them. If you do that, make sure you at least take the time to take a deep breath and just calm down for a moment. Remember, it is not the end of the world if something does not get done!