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The best part is, there's no right or wrong way to do it. You just need to find what works for you.
1. Talk about someone you love
I can't say this enough. Write about why you love someone that you do, certain things they've done, past memories you've had together, or your favorite things about their personality. Chances are the characteristics that stand out to you about them are the traits that are most important to you.
2. Past memories
Small events and details can bring back more emotions that you would ever realize.
3. A favorite quote
Sometimes a quote will pop out at me in a book I'm reading, or on my way to class. Other days, I'll find myself googling "_(emotion I'm experiencing)_ quotes" and I'll find new ones that I love.
4. Great things that happened today
I love using the phrase "be stupidly optimistic." By great things, I don't mean winning the lottery or even acing your exam (although if that happens 100% counts). I'm talking the small things you might normally push aside, like someone taking time to hold the door for you, or your relative giving you a call.
5. X things you're grateful for
Challenge yourself to come up with new ones every time. It makes me realize how lucky I am every time I do this type of entry.
6. Flip to a random picture in your phone
Describe it, the setting, the memories, the emotions. Sometimes you'll end on a picture that's so random, but will make you think hard, and often other forgotten memories will resurface too.
7. Draw out your emotions
I'm still working on this one, but I've found that sometimes what I'm feeling is more fluent in pictures (even though to say the least, I am not an artist). They can be doodles, to world collages, to anything in between. Your childhood creative side might be begging to come out.
1. Self care.
Before we take care of anything else, we must take care of ourselves. This means doing things you enjoy that are relaxing and most importantly stress-free. It can be along the lines of taking a bubble bath, having a spa day, eating a sweet, doing yoga or dressing in clothes you love. Something that eases your mind and allows you to think of things other than that math test you have tomorrow or making your car payment. We cannot work non stop without a break and activities like these are perfect when you're in need of some downtime.
2. To-do lists.
To-do lists can be a huge lifesaver when it comes to organizing your daily tasks. It is an easy way to remember everything you have to complete and the feeling you get when erasing tasks off of the list after completing them is very satisfying. An effective way to make a to-do list is to put the short and simple tasks at the top of the list because they are easy to finish and it minimizes the size of the list and your stress quickly. Using a to-do list will help you stay in check with what you need to get done and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
3. Physical Activity.
One of the best ways to unload unbearable stress is physical exercise. Sometimes when you become caught up in your thoughts and it all becomes too much, you are not going to calm down until you sweat it all out. Some good mind clearing exercises include hiking, biking, dancing or running. They take no thought at all and can help you get out any frustration or stress that is pent up inside of you. Once you finish your exercise, you will be able to focus more on what you were trying to accomplish and your anxiety will begin to subside.
4. Choose the right friends.
One big stressor that we struggle with daily is drama. It often comes from the people we surround ourselves with. We all have had those friends who can create drama out of any situation and as hard as it can be, sometimes you're better off keeping your distance from them. If this isn't possible at least stay in the drama free zone and try to focus on other things to discuss. When you have strong, supportive friends who bring you happiness, your stress level will decrease because you will feel more stable.
5. Spend less time on your phone.
Spending less time on your phone and more time in the real world will minimize your stress in many ways. Firstly, the more you're on your phone the less time you have to complete your daily tasks and at the end of the day that can be very overwhelming. In addition, If you have a social media account (we all have one), it is very easy to get caught up in how many followers or likes you get on your posts which is of very small importance and is not something worth stressing over. Decreasing the time spent on your phone will help you accomplish more throughout the day and change your perception on social media which leads to a less stressful environment.
We will all be stressed out from time to time and that's okay but it doesn't mean that we have to be all the time. As long as you stay on task, know when to take a break and take care of yourself at the same time, you can have a simple and happy lifestyle.
A Response To Common Core: If Only School Academics Could Change
The common core isn't what we need. We need to change every school for the better!
Ever since high schools have opened up, there are minor changes that need to be implemented in order to better the schools for students' futures. Students need the ability to learn about the various majors that colleges offer them before going into college and also need a de-stressor element during the school day. With the implementation of required career pathways and instructional focus, high school students will be able to enter college with a set mindset of what they want to go through the exposure and experience of the field from career pathways, along with build time management skills for their work.
High school students are not exposed to all the majors that they have interest in and are not given the opportunity to truly learn the fundamentals of a major with the # of classes and AP courses they desire to take in high school. With the implementation of a necessary two major career pathways throughout high school, students will be able to learn about the variety of majors and figure out what they truly have interest in. Schools can have basic major career pathways that give background knowledge about different fields, which will allow the students to see what they enjoy. For example, some of these classes could include marketing, medical, computer science, culinary pathways and more.
In these classes, first-year pathway teachers would teach the students about the basics of the career, along with the specific fields that the students can choose in this pathway. In the second and third years, teachers will be able to teach students about the hands-on experience that students need to apply. With this, if a student doesn't enjoy a field, the next year they can change and find one that they can pursue in the future; this helps guide students in college.
Two career pathway classes will be necessary for two years in order to graduate. This allows students who enjoy their fields to pursue the career for four years and have a side career that they wouldn't mind having as well. In addition, a period of time set aside called Instructional Focus (IF) would bolster the quality of a student's high school experience. Being a specific period in one's daily schedule, this forty-five minute period would occur every Wednesday. It serves the purpose of a study hall and "flex" period. A flex period would give the students the flexibility to move to different classrooms and teachers, with a hallway pass with the teacher's permission. This time is specifically allocated for students to make up missed work/tests, finish up homework and consult teachers and peers with academic regard.
Essentially, this extends the learning experience from simply doing homework at home alone to interacting in an engaging manner with the task they are given and truly absorbing all information. Sometimes, high school classes can pile up and become somewhat strenuous and difficult; this instructional focus period acts as a means for alleviating some stress and allowing education to focus back upon interactive learning.
While the need for career pathway classes sounds theoretically tangible, some would argue that most students already know what they're going to major in in college, which would be a waste for these students. Although some students believe they know exactly what major they are going to pursue in the future, only 25% truly stick with it. It is stated on Central College (Central College is a website that allows students to research their college, admissions and excess information about the college major details), "75% of American college students start college undecided or change their major."
This depicts the need for experience prior to going to college. Though the student knows what field to major in from now, they will have experience with a second major that they'll know they can join if they decide to switch in high school. By having two major career pathways each year, students won't be wasting money on classes to figure out what major they like, but will instead be able to join the major that they know they already have experience in. This will allow students to save time by choosing their field in high school along with achieving more earlier in the future.
One may question the academic and professional nature that Instructional Focus theoretically promises; this could be a time students utilize inappropriately for non-academic reasons is an argument that may come up. However, this is in no way a "free" period for students to do as they please. Instead, students are still in a traditional classroom monitored by their 4th-period teachers. The presence of teachers and faculty as supervisors addresses completely any concern for lack of supervision. Also, the flexibility of IF is enforced with careful attention to whether a student actually needs to be in another teacher's room too, perhaps, make up a missed test.
The passes that allow students to transition are a blue color that cannot easily be replicated, require a teacher signature, and require information about what the student is doing and where he or she will be. Supplementary to this is a sign out sheet used whenever a student transitions. Overall, an instructional focus period should be seen as necessary and vital to a student's quality of life in school and not a means of deviating a student's attention away from academia; it actually focuses attention more towards it. To provide more consistency and make such theoretical ideas seem more tangible, a schedule model has been created that high school can adopt and follow.
Following the traditional 7-period schedule, the classes will be divided as such: five core classes that include the necessary graduation requirements, two career pathway classes, and one instructional focus period. Students will still attend 7 classes but will be given the opportunity to choose career classes that truly depict the field that they have chosen. Instructional Focus will allow them to catch up on assignments along with giving a de-stressor to those who just need a break from studying once in a while. With this schedule, students will be given extra time while also allowing teachers to catch up on the grading that students complain about falling behind. This model reaps the benefits of consistency and tangibility, as a school schedule should be. This schedule is not a big deviation from the standard schedule we use now, but instead supplementary to it and adds the benefits of career pathways and instructional focus.