Lola’s POV: Stressed? Don’t sweat it!

Just recently I’ve fallen into an endless pit of stress and overthinking and I never thought it would be this hard to get out of it. I’ve been focused on so many things at the same time that I can’t bear but rant about it on my POV this week. As the last week of school before Christmas-break approaches, I’ve become more and more anxious as the days drift on by and work keeps accumulating in heaps and heaps of due dates and essays and critical thinking questions, that I feel like I’m buried alive. I’ve become so hyper-focused on my schoolwork and my responsibilities that I’ve left myself unattended and I haven’t taken care of my well being like the weeks before. I’ve forgotten about what I need.

Monday: Hand in the weekend’s homework assignments.

Tuesday: Begin my review for my biology exam- “Oh wait, can’t miss that!” Attend a movie premier, then go back to studying.

Wednesday: Ace my biology exam, clear up any doubts that I might have for the next test.

Thursday: Math test (the most dreaded day of the week and my weakest class) and hand in all my projects and assignments for the end of the quarter.

Friday: It’s over! I’m done!

Simple enough right? But, the week gets slower every day that goes by. My days have become filled with work and ways to keep up with all of my activities and responsibilities. How do I deal with stress? I have a couple of ways. This applies not only to moments of brief stress and anxiety but to general problems in the day to day that might need a little fixin’.

1. Every Problem Has a Solution
   First you have to realize the situation that you are in is temporary and whatever might be your problem right now will eventually have a solution or it will diminish with time. Whether it’s a bad grade or a personal problem, everything will find its way back to normality, the key word is resilience.
2. Take Some Time for Yourself
   When you’re working hard on something or when you have a lot on your plate it’s very easy to get side tracked and forget that you have needs as well! There’s moments in which you have to sit back and think – what’s the best choice right now? Not for what you’re doing (obviously not dismissing your responsibilities) but for yourself. Sometimes we think that by giving our 100% attention to one specific thing, it’ll turn out perfectly, but when other aspects are lacking attention, it can all go downhill.
3. Exercise  
   Exercise can be a huge stress reliever! It’s scientifically proven that when you’re getting active you release toxins and endorphin levels rise which make you happier and less stressed, I personally partake in this one very much because it not only releases tension but you feel great afterwards (also I don’t mind the extra calories burnt).
   
4. Make a Schedule
   There’s nothing better than having an organized schedule or checklist when you have  a lot of work to do. In fact it makes the work feel like it’s much less when you do everything at its own time and cut low on procrastination. When you leave things for the last minute, they accumulate and it seems like much more work to do in very little time. Organization is key with a busy schedule. It facilitates your life and gives you time to work on other things.
5. Breathe
   Having time of reflection with yourself is extremely helpful! I have mine by writing, either in a poem or in a journal entry. The good thing about these are that, you don’t have to share them with anybody and don’t need anybody’s feedback. It’s about YOU.  You also get to understand yourself a bit better and learn from the things you’ve done and how to perhaps do them differently the next time.

It’s all about attitude. You are the person who chooses how to let a problem in your life and how to make it leave. Life is full of these small, complicated moments in which we determine how we’re going to allow it to affect us, what we are going to let it teach us, or how we turn them around and make an impact.