This is something we have all had to do at one point or another in our lives and it often leaves us mentally and emotionally exhausted. My real interest in the art of coping is the various ways people find to cope with stressful situations. Speaking from a personal point of view I often get described as level headed or mellow. I try not to stress over anything too much but sometimes it does get overwhelming and hen that moment finally arrives I feel like I am drowning. It has gotten significantly worse throughout college and even more so the closer I get to graduation. I have even thought about going to the campus counseling center, but came up with the somewhat true excuse that I do not have the time.

In all actuality, stressful events are bound to happen in our daily lives. People get sick and die, animals get sick and die, people break up for a variety of reasons, some people are bad drivers. I could go on and on about the various situations that can change your life or ruin your day, but these problems aren't important. It is how you react to them that is important. Just like there are a myriad of potential problems, there are also a wide variety of different responses. Some of these responses are dangerous and self-destructive like turning to drugs or alcohol as a way to escape the world and its problems. Some are healthy but obsessive like people who go to the gym to destress.

What do I do? I brood. Generally brooding isn't thought of as a positive thing, but I don't use it the way many other people do. I use it as an evaluation tool. I brood to evaluate where I am in my life and why I might be unhappy. Then I think about the future that I want. Finally, I think about what I can do to get to that future that I want. For example, when I failed the only class I have failed since I have been in college it dropped my GPA under HOPE scholarship requirments and I lost it. Yes, I cried and was mad. I also knew that it was my fault that I failed. Then I did my research and learned that I could get my scholarship back and I could also retake the class to replace the F. I did both. Obviously this situation doesn't work for most situations like losing a loved one because it probably isn't your fault and there isn't anything you can do to change it. You can however, choose to not let it define you and your life. I lost someone very dear to me a while ago. I was in the middle of high school and I could've easily gone down a bad road and acted out and I would have had a perfectly legitimate reason. Instead, I chose to turn that grief into ambition. I chose to go to college instead of being stuck in my small hometown, working a shit job for the rest of my life. I didn't choose drugs or alcohol.

One last thing you should think about. You have a lot more influence than you realize and you should always be aware of who is watching you whether it's your niece or nephew or even your own child. The choices you make can have a profound impact on the lives of others.