Stress is like a black pit of uncertainty: losing yourself and consciously knowing it. The most heartbreaking part is there’s nothing anyone can do as your mind and soul spiral out of control.
Stress: it’s a side of life that we try to avoid. It makes us uncomfortable, breaks us down, and in some cases, leaves us defeated. There is an abundant amount of stressors we face in our day to day lives; some positive, others negative.
Oftentimes, we allow ourselves to dwell on that which causes us so much pain, and ultimately it cultivates into stress.
This heavy contemplation of our daily losses, whether they be as small as not making the bed in the morning, to failing a midterm are in large part of what stress is. When we reflect upon these negative conceptions, it in turn causes us stress, and there’s nothing to be gained from that type of stress.
Oftentimes when one feels stressed, it’s because we feel out of touch with reality- as though we aren’t in control of our current situation. Communications student Sara Sikora emphasized this notion, stating that “Stress is caused when someone feels like they lack control in some aspect [of their lives].”
Contrary to what most people believe, when we have time to reflect upon our negative circumstances, it creates more friction in our lives- meaning keeping busy actually helps you de stress. Furthermore, Sikora maintained that staying active in our personal lives helps cope with negative stressors, and said “By staying busy, it can be easy to forget about stress even if just momentarily. When someone is inactive, it gives them more time to dwell on their current [situation].”
Pursuing what we love to do in order to stay busy is a great way to rid stress in your personal life- it also gives us productivity. Professor of communications, John Morano, professed that reading and writing are great ways for him to de stress; “I do find that… the most relaxing moments [are] when I sit down at lunch with nothing but a burrito and a magazine and… do a little research for a story that I’m working on…” The four-time author added that “In the short term, reading to me is more relaxing than writing.”
Being active can be a challenge at times, especially when it means being productive. Unplanned events and surprises take shape in our day to day lives, throwing off our daily routines. In this sense, staying busy as a form of relaxation can be difficult; “Surprises and unplanned events occur that you have to work around… [the] lack of control in certain situations [contributes] to stress” said senior biology major, Sam Barnada. A great way for her to stay organized and keep productive throughout her days are simple- planning. “I like to plan my weeks out so I have a schedule- going into the day I know what to do and when so I can keep myself busy during the day,” she added
For many people, reflection of our inadequacies contributes to our stress by rooting itself in a miniscule loss and cultivating itself into something much more, stress is born. When we give into the heavy contemplation of stress, it begins to dominate our thoughts and minds, until we finally lose control.
However, we always have control; staying active is a choice that not only alleviates stressful thoughts, but enriches our lives. By doing ourselves the greatest service of pursuing productive and positive activities, we can truly come to terms with the stressors in our lives. Plan accordingly, be active and stress less.
