Thursday, May 21, 2015

Stress is Not a Losing Battle

With all of my previous depressing posts, I figured I should provide you with some ways to eliminate the anxiety I probably just gave you all. According to this article, one way to stop your brain from going on a runaway train of stress is to stop what you're doing, analyze the situation, think of  a possible good outcome, a most likely outcome, and then form a plan to solve the most likely situation. In addition, did you know that meditation actually makes a difference? It can improve your self control skills (i.e. focus, stress management, attention, impulse control, and self-awareness). Similarly, by just doing breathing exercises you can build "stress resilience and your willpower reserve." It's also important to not only focus on the negative aspects of your life and remember the positive aspects as well. Yes, life is extremely exhausting, terrible, and stressful, but take the time to laugh and experience positive emotions. These have been proven to improve your immune system and overall life satisfaction. Also, remember that you're not alone in this and 30% of teens feel overwhelmed and 31% feel depressed due to stress. In addition, it was reported that a lot of times teens are more stressed out than the average adult, so yes parents, we really do have it that bad and no we're not over-exaggerating! It's normal to feel stressed and like your world is ending but remember to eat health, SLEEP, exercise, enjoy life, laugh, relax, breath (occasionally), take a break every now and then, listen to music, and stay positive! It's important that we relax and try and enjoy life while we can. A life filled with laughter, sleep, and happiness is a much better life solely focused on due dates and college acceptance rates. We're merely 16 and 17 years old and we're way too young to have gray hairs already so let's enjoy our youth and prolong our life with these helpful tips!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pressure-proof/201402/tapped-out-teens-4-stress-relief-strategies-work
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2013/nov/06/students-ten-ways-to-beat-stress

2 comments:

  1. Agree that these are good ways to relieve stress. At the same time, I think that one of the root causes for lots of the student stress is the inability to reach these relieving actions. Another problem is that many students, including myself, sometimes feel that taking their minds off of school for a while could be a risk especially if the work never stops coming. Sometimes there simply isn't any time for a break and taking a break could result in a low grade.

    Possibly, having a block period every day could allow for less homework per night, and maybe allow for more break time, lowering student stress.

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  2. I agree to an extent. I do believe that one way to tackle stress is to analyze, formulate a plan, and dismantle your problem. But addressing your problems and stress mentally could serve as a way of "bottling it up." If you don't deal with the source of your problems and stress, they will remain present. If you decide to pretend your problems and stress aren't there, you may go stress free for a while until you realize that you actually do have a problem to face, thus bringing back the stress, and possibly at an even higher level. But your point on mental self control is solid. Being in control of your thoughts and emotions can do a world of good in fighting off stress.

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