Stress Release

Stress is a topic that comes up very frequently in almost everyone’s life. There is always a chance of losing a job, not having any money to pay for a person’s wants and needs, or even finding the right person to spend the rest of your life with. Every person handles their stress differently and it all depends on their levels of stress; there is numerous ways of dealings with theses stresses. The blog Five Easy Ways to Reduce your Stress Today that gives five ways to deal with stress and how to overcome high stress levels in public places. The first tip is to take breaks about every two hours from your work or homework; it is important that your brain gets the required oxygen that you don’t get while you are sitting. Also, in that tip it states a simple walk for a few minutes and just a good laugh can help. The second technique refers to breathing exercises. Eating spicy foods, the third tip, is also a way for the brain to relax. Then, the fourth tip was suggests eating healthy and exercising to reduce your stress. The last and final tip is using a biofeedback machine that helps one bring down his/her stress. When stress comes, it can be helpful to try these methods. I have tried some of these methods and can relate to them, but I can also find some methods a bit crazy.
There is a couple of methods I agree with and plan on using to lower my stress levels. The first technique listed is a subject that I can relate to; I often take breaks during my homework and, come back to work on it later. A break gives me an opportunity to clear my mind and possibly think of better ideas to expand my paper. However, I do find it hard sometimes to take a break when I am rushing to get my work done because I have other things I have to do like go to work or study for another class. I do agree very much with this technique, when and if it is possible it works very well. In addition technique I find that it the most one I can relate to states that dieting, getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water and exercising will help reduce your high stress levels. I have experienced this technique and it works well too. When I get stressed out, I go and get on the elliptical to clear my mind, or (when I played softball) I would go out in the garage and hit off my softball tee. One thing I find interesting in this tip is that it tells you to stretch because this too releases stress. I plan on trying to add stretching to my daily list of things to do so I can try and release some stress.
When reading technique three, I really was shocked to find out that spicy foods actually get a person to think clearer. In tests, it is to be found that spicy foods cause your brain to release hormones which, helps to relieve stress. If I would have known this earlier in my college career, I would have ate chili everyday about three times. However, in the end of the description Destin Lewis tells one to steer clear of a lot of spicy foods because it causes ulcers, which I bet are even more pain than the stress.
I found one technique that I thought was extreme and probably would not do to release stress. Breathing in and out through one nostril, I view as a little crazy. It tells one to plug one nostril and breathe in through the other nostril and out with your mouth. Now I have heard of breathing in through the nose and out with the mouth, but to plug one nostril. At the end of the tip, it tells one to avoid doing this tip if the person has a cold; I find that part funny because when I have a cold I can’t breathe out my nose anyways.
This last and final technique I found strange; I never new that a machine could help one with stress. The author states “These devices train you to control a biological process such as heart rhythm in order to become habitually more relaxed” ( Easy Ways).I, myself, would not hook my body up to a machine to release stress; I think I would try to release it by the other techniques before relying on a machine to make me better.
Ultimately, Destin Lewis, the author of the blog, uses an easy format for the reader. The blog is listed in bullets, so it is easier for the reader to understand the techniques. The author of the blog explains the techniques well, so people can use them if they wanted. I wish that the author would have put more ways to reduce stress, and maybe even explained how he reduces stress.
I find it gives good techniques on how to deal with stress because it is easy to read, I clearly understood the blog. However, when one has a lot of stress I think these might now work. When one is dealing with stress, he/she have to minimize it and hope he/she doesn’t get overwhelmed. I believe that I am going to take the exercise tip and place that into my life again. I am hoping that these tips I learned will help me reduce my stress levels and possibly become a calmer person.

Living in a Small Town

Living in a small town with only one stoplight and where everyone knows your name is sometimes extremely intimidating, but also nice too. People hold you to higher standards because they have seen you grow up and they have known your family for years. I find it rather difficult living up to everyone’s expectations because nothing is a secret in this town.
You can do something one night and your parents find out the next morning that you have got into trouble; news in this little town spreads like “wild fire”. My parents and family have made good influences on me to make good decisions. I’m an eighteen year old college student who does not drink. After, losing two family members in car accidents related to alcohol; I find it rather tough to put myself in that situation. Everyone in the community knows this too, and holds me to not drinking and relies on me to be the so called “DD”. I would rather drive them around than seeing my very close friends get into a car accident and possibly losing their life.
There are also many positives about living in a small town. There is not that extra stress of not knowing someone or not being able to trust people when you need help. Living in Hanover/ Marne there is always that nice neighbor or even family that is there to help with any needs. I have grown up living in about a five mile radius of all my family; thus, the explanation of seeing them almost everyday. I love having my close family because they are always there when you need them. Living in a small town is also nice because you never have to introduce yourself to someone; they already know you from your parents. A lot of people my parents graduated with I recently graduated with their kids. Although, there is the typical small town drama, from everyone knowing everyone’s business; hence, not getting away with nothing.

Sleep

When I think of college students I think of staying up until early mornings and sleeping in past noon. Well, for me that staying up part is right, but I do not get to sleep past noon. Typically, I have to be up by six o’clock every morning, but Sundays. I can not wait for Sunday mornings to come around because that is one of the only days of the week I get to sleep in until eight. Yes, I just said eight, most people think sleeping in is like from eleven to two; yet that is not the case for me. I would do anything for eight to nine hours of sleep every night. There are times I just want to come home and take a nap, but I have other places to be since I tend to “spread myself to thin”.

With all my other activities going on I am up until past 11 o’clock doing homework and catching up on my reading for my four classes. There are way too many other activities going on in my life that takes up to much time from my studying. Although, when I do get a night off I want to hang out with my boyfriend; however, I fall asleep by nine because I am so exhausted. I feel bad, but he has to understand that sometimes I just need my sleep. Sometimes I even put off my homework and studying just to get a few extra minutes of sleep.

Just keep in mind when you are tired these tips, like no caffeine and exercising at least 30 minutes a day, can help you not be so tired during the day; although, sometimes we are told to do these to stay awake. Hopefully some of my activities end soon so I can get more sleep.

Losing a friend?

Losing a best friend is one of the hardest, most stressful things a teenager ever has to think about. It’s the worst feeling in the world to think your friend maybe be starving herself to death. Yet, this happens more often in society, in recent years; do to the fact of the stereotype that is presented in the “lime light”. This tragic disorder has fallen very close to home for me.
My best friend since pre-school has been going through anorexia for over a year. This affect her life, her families, and everyone involved with it. The big thing for me with this situation is the stress knowing that I may loss my best friend. Anorexia caused my friend to push away all of her friends and family, which caused her disorder to go full effect because she felt as if she was alone. This made her not answer her phone, never return phone calls, and never want to hang out with anyone because she didn't want people to talk about her.
The most stressful time I had with this situation was probably this past Christmas. We would always get together and exchange gifts and make some sort of cookie but this year was the very first year since pre-school that we didn’t even speak to each other. This was very hard on me because a few weeks after Christmas I got news that they were sending her to Minnesota for therapy; yet, I did not find out by her I found out through the “grape vine”. After finding out, I gather many pictures and other items and took it over to her house and gave her mom the gift to give her because she wont return my phone calls. Within a few hours of her being there I got a phone call from another friend saying she was coming home because she didn't like it there.
Even months after Christmas I still get the emptiness of not having her there like the old times and sharing the great laughs we had. I hate seeing her like this and it kills me to think what she is going through. I just hope she gets better and I don’t want to think about losing my best friend since pre-school. Even though she hates me right now for trying to help her and get her help, I know in the long run I did the right thing and hopefully she will see that later down the road; so, we can become closer again.

A WEEKEND FROM HELL

Working and going to school is very stressful sometimes. It seems like there is never enough time to do all of the things that need done. The weekends are supposed to be a time of relaxation, but sometimes they can be the weekend from Hell. This certain weekend that I experienced was definitely a weekend from Hell. From the craziness of work, to studying for three midterms, a fund raiser I helped with, to a birthday party for my family members.
I guess you could say my weekend started off lousy, when I had to get up at six a.m. on a Saturday morning to the playing of an awful song that I can not stand. As I rolled out of bed I dragged myself to my closet to pick out an appropriate work outfit for the bank. One thing I just had about enough of is working in a bank having the stress of dressing up every day you work. As I headed to the bathroom to take my shower I came around the corner to feel a dreadful pain in my foot, as I stubbed it on the door. As I was getting ready for work I had a horrible rumble in my stomach telling me to eat. Running out the door in a hurry to get to work, I grabbed a lousy strawberry pop-tart and a glass of ice tea, the breakfast for champions.
Of course when your in a hurry to get to work, you get behind a crazy old person only going ten miles under the speed limit just to make you even later than you already were. Once I walked in the doors at work, I noticed there was only one station that had not been claimed right beside the person that I can not stand. After doing all the night deposit bags, I was already annoyed by the girl beside me. If it was not bad enough that I had to sit by her but she talks non-stop and really does not have much to say.
At the bank on a Saturday morning there is always a stampede to get in the doors first, of course everyone wants their money right away. Since the rush only last about a half hour I decided it would be a good idea if I studied a little bit for one of my midterms. As soon as I opened my book and began reading it seems like a stream of people rolled right in again. To make my day even worse, I got an angry customer that wanted to cash a rather large check that did not have the funds to cover it; therefore, he got mad and started yelling at me. I was shaking with hatred and my boss sent me on a break to cool down. Once I calmed down, I came back and began to work again, which I think was a mistake. Since that day was hell for me, there had to be another upset customer just awaiting me. My very next customer wanted to cash a check that was signed over to her but she didn’t have enough money to cover it. Before everything was over, she was crying because I would not cash her check.
A miracle came when the clock struck three. It was now time to run to a fund raiser that I was helping my dad and uncle with. When I walked in the door I abruptly heard the sound of corn hole bags hitting the boards. The fund raiser wasn’t what we all expected it to be and didn’t raise as much money as we hoped. I hurried home to study a few hours but I was exhausted. I feel asleep drooling in my text book. I set my alarm clock for the next morning’s adventures at the bank and prayed for a better day.
When I woke up it seemed like a better day, but then again it wasn’t. There was awful news in work. Not only was everyone stressed about mid-terms coming up but one of the ladies I work with fell very ill. The customers on Sunday had better attitudes and seemed friendlier. After work I had to head to a family birthday party for my four cousins. I could have been studying but I had not seen all them for awhile; thus, I decided to go. Once I returned hope I rushed right back to my bed room to begin the studying of my three midterms. I studied until it was too late and I decided I was better off going to sleep in my bed rather than on my desk.
A weekend from hell is a weekend with numerous stressful activities going on, that keeps me from my studying. The bitterness of customers can make your day go even more stressful if you can’t make them automatically happy. On a weekend from hell you can not let things bug you and just keep on going hoping for the best outcome.

Finding Enough Time

Have you ever got the feeling that you never have time to relax or just have fun? Here lately that’s exactly how I feel. I am the type of person who enjoys spending time laughing with my friends and just having fun, but here lately I don’t have the time to spend with them. All of us are so busy with school or other activities that we don’t have a chance to ever catch up with the gossip in our lives.
I can see that not spending a lot of time with my boyfriend is affecting our relationship. Although, he completely understands about all of my different activities that are going on he is always putting out that extra effort to see me, even if it is only for a couple hours. A major down fall for not seeing him or having enough time with him is the great laughs that we share together.
My friends are a very important aspect in my life, without them I would go crazy. They are the people I go to when I have a problem or if I just need to vent off all my steam that I build up. It is hard to find time with all of my friends because some of them don’t get along with others. Therefore, when I want to hang out with them I have to manage my time between all of them.
The time I spend with my boyfriend or friends help me relax and not care about my other activities. We all share common stresses and we all help each other out when the stress builds up to much.

Stress of School

School is stressful for every student. There is always a pressure of getting a good GPA so that you can get into your desired major. To keep your GPA up you have to have good study skills, and a really good work ethic. One thing that I lacked when I first started college was study skills. In high school I never really had to study for good grades on test but in college it is automatic that you study to get good grades. I think college has helped me grow as a better student but it has made my stress levels very high.
In the next couple weeks, I will find out if I got into my major or not. I am extremely nervous because I am a person that always has doubts about things when dealing with such a big decision in my life. I just hope my experiences and grades will show the ability I have to be a good student in my field. It is stressful knowing that if I do not get into my major, that I have wanted since I was little, that I will have to choose something I am not as aspired by.
Taking 19 credit hours this quarter is rough, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I feel like I am at school forever. My first class starts at 8:00 a.m. and I do not get to go home until 3:50 p.m. I just hope I can keep my sanity and not go crazy knowing I’m at school all day long. It is stressful knowing that with 19 credit hours means a lot of homework and a lot of reading that I have got to do, just to make sure I get a good grade in the class.