Stress

A chapter about stress can be a great topic to read about while in college.  However, I think that it’s an even better topic to read about after you graduate and enter the working world where the stress is doubled from when you were in college!  To be completely honest, I do not see myself as being a very stressful person.  Sure I experience the stresses that accompany school, work, making ends meet, etc. but I believe that I have found very effective techniques that help me deal with the stresses that show their ugly face every now and again.  Not only do I think these are effective techniques, they also help me to realize that sometimes things aren’t as bad as they seem at first glance. 

While I was pursing my undergraduate degree at Millersville, a friend of mine was very helpful to me in terms of dealing with stress.  I sort of have adopted his slogan he used to always say – “Hey, just go with the flow.”  I know that it is corny, but it spoke to me in so many ways.  We all know that ‘things’ happen and they will happen to us.  But the most important part is how we deal with it and how we react.  We can let our problems control us, or we can control us – the choice is ultimately ours.  When looking back to our college experience, we were able to study hard, get good grades, have a good time, and not let stress take over our lives. Conveniently, we also had the same pressures we were experiencing (we were both biology majors) so it was also nice to find someone you can identify with and talk to. 

Another bit of advice that is helpful to me is to only worry about the things that you can control.  If you remember that simple statement, I think it easier to let a lot of the ‘small stuff’ go and to not let it bother you.  When I think about this concept, I am reminded of a quote from one of my favorite movies, Bull Durham.  The quote reads, “A good friend of mine used to say, ‘This is a very simple game.  You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.’ Think about that for a while.”  When I think about this quote, I think what this is saying is not to overcomplicate things and to not let things like the ‘rain’ bother you.  I think that take things for what they are worth and worry about the things you can control.  I have applied this quote to so many of instances in my life.  Not worrying about the things you can’t control has helped diminish my stress.

The third bit of advice that has been helpful to me was my cooperating teacher’s advice while I was student teaching.  Every day after school, she used to always go swimming for five miles at a local indoor swimming pool.  The day I asked her why she did it, her answer was relatively simple – “I go swimming because it helps me to relieve stress.  When you get a job, find something you like to do, and do it.  It will make your life a whole lot easier.”  I literally laughed when I read Corey and Corey (2010) give the same advice.  I made sure that I always find time to work out for a couple of reasons – I like to do it, it’s fun, and it relieves stress.  When I exercise, I am living in the current moment and not worrying about anything else.  I think this is where the whole mindfulness concept comes into play.  Greason and Cashwell (2009) make the case that mindfulness helps one to control their attention and to be more empathetic in a counseling setting.  I am currently practicing on being mindful in everyday activities and will try to do some of the techniques that Corey and Corey suggest.

Corey, G. & Corey, M. S. (2010). Managing Stress. In Brooks/Cole (9th edition), I Never Knew I Had a Choice (132-169). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Greason, P.B, & Cashwell, C.S. (2009). Mindfulness and Counseling Self Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Attention and Empathy.