Don’t you just love that picture? I’m sure it rings a bell for more people than just myself… I was actually stressed this morning, wondering what on EARTH I could write about on my blog. For the past couple posts, I had written about writing tips, because writing is one of my passions, but it came to me that other people may not be as interested in it as I am. So this post, is dedicated to something very common and ordinary: STRESS. (cue shuddering)
In case you are one of those people who have amazing and perfect lives, and have never experienced stress (I’ve heard these people exist, though I’ve never met one) I’ll briefly show you what it is like………
The alarm comes to life and I jam my head under the pillow. 6:30. When drowning it out doesn’t work, I am forced to hop out of bed and turn it off. That’s when I realize it’s Monday. I groan and rub my eyes. Despite my longing to curl back up in bed, in half an hour I’m dressed and ready. I run down stairs to find my homework on the table. Crap! I didn’t finish my English essay last night! That’s due first period! Shoveling down some buttered toast, I grab my backpack and stuff my homework into it. Running down the driveway, I make it to the bus just as the driver has started to close the doors.
Pulling out my English papers, I try to scribble down the third body paragraph using my backpack as a table. We arrive at the school and I have managed to write down two sentences. Filing off the bus, I join the stream of students into the school and walk over to my locker. Opening it up, I get out my books for morning classes before slumping to the floor. 7:45. Fifteen minutes before first period. Frantically trying to write down how Achilles displays anger and pride in the Iliad, my pen flies across the paper.
Students start to walk to their morning classes and I still have the concluding paragraph to write. 5 minutes. There! I scribble down the last sentence, I’m done! I look up. 1 minute to class. Leaping from my spot I dash up the stairs and through the hallways. There are people standing in front of their classes, blocking my way. Shoving through them, I lock my eyes on the door at the end of the hallway. I feel like I am trying to walk through water, the going is so slow. My heart starts pounding and my palms sweat. I can’t be late again! I fall through the door just as the bell rings. Sighing, I take my place at my desk. My teacher looks up from her desk and smiles at the class, “Hand in your papers, and then put your textbooks away. We are having a test.”
TEST!!!!?!?!?!? I almost faint in my chair. This is sooo not fair. I sigh and shift through my agenda, sure enough, we have a test today. And tomorrow, I have two projects due that I haven’t started, and another test. I sigh. This is going to be a loooong week.
So there you have it, a little example of what stress is like. For me, I’m feeling the stress of exams right now, I have six of them to study for (and I thought four was brutal…). So, the big question:
How do you deal with stress!?!?
Hmm, good question. Of course, I could go into the list of things people usually tell you: eat healthy, exercise, plan your day well, don’t procrastinate, and the list goes on and on and on. While all these things help, and are very important to follow, what do we do when we’ve done all these things (or most of them 😉 ) and we still feel stressed?
Life happens
That’s what they tell you. That’s the phrase they use to sum up: I did everything I could possibly do in one day, and still have things to get done!!!! What I have found, is that we get stressed when we aren’t able to finish everything. When we physically CAN NOT go to soccer practice, finish three projects, practice piano, eat, study for three different tests, and do chores in one night, we start to feel that dreaded feeling, stress. Some people rush the work, and then are stressed about their marks. Others stay up till all hours of the night and feel like barfing the next day. Others finish as much as they can while still getting enough sleep, and then just explain to their teachers why they were unable to finish their homework.
Personally, the latter is the best option. What you do accomplish, you’ve done well. And somehow, that note in your hand from your parents explaining why you didn’t finish your homework is an amazing stress reliever. Don’t get me wrong: If you procrastinated, it is your own fault you are stressed the day before something is due. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Stress is good in some cases, it motivates us to get things done. But…
If you have been working as much as you should be, all week, and you still haven’t finished your work, then there isn’t really anything you can do about it, so why stress? Life happens.
Stressing about things you can no longer change is pointless. This goes for everyone of all ages. It just takes years off your life, and sorry to say, never solves the problem. So instead of stressing about it, think about something else. Focus on the work you are doing currently. Take a break and do something you enjoy.
There is a fine line between being stressed for a good reason, and just stressing needlessly. I am still figuring this out as well. So just remember, eat healthy, work as much as you should, don’t procrastinate, and remember, if you have done all you can…. Calm down! There is nothing else you can do.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to studying for exams.
Hope this helped,
Lara