Sometimes the stress of my responsibilities overwhelms me. Today is one of those days. I have an enormous list of things to do, and you know what? Not one of them is concerning a class. It's all extra-curricular responsibilities that I must take care of. I've always been a strong advocate of keeping yourself busy in school, but I think I've finally taken it to the extreme!

Luckily, I have relaxation down to a fine-tuned technique. I've always been an overachiever. Getting a "B" for me is the equivalent of a national disaster...at least, that's how it was for me in high school. I'm sure every parent would say they'd love their child to be like that, but trust me, sometimes the cons outweigh the pros. I'd be obsessive about perfection, and studying to a point where I knew all the material for my classes backwards and forwards and sideways and any other way you can imagine. I knew my stuff, but the stress of keeping up to such a demanding schedule made me want to take college a little slower.

Well, obviously that didn't happen.

But, like I said, I know exactly what I need to do to keep myself on track so my brain doesn't explode from the pressures of responsibility weighing down on me.

Here's what I like to do:

1. Exercise regularly. I do cardio one morning and yoga or pilates the next so I get a balanced workout. Yoga really helps me sleep at night too...if you find yourself tossing and turning, try doing yoga for about 15 minutes each night before you get into bed and I promise you'll notice a huge difference.
2. Eat. This may seem obvious--everyone needs to eat--but sometimes, if I get busy enough, I'll either forget, or take on incredibly erratic eating patterns. That isn't good for me, or good for my stress. Eating regular meals, or several small healthy snacks throughout the day is better.
3. Read a book. I love, love, love to read. I'll read nearly anything you put in front of me, and I really won't stop. I get narrow-minded in the presence of a book...people talking to me, the phone ringing...it all goes away. Reading truly relaxes me.
4. Get a pet. My dog Molly does wonders for my mood and for my stress. She's constantly happy--and constantly happy to see me. If I start feeling the irritations of life in general getting to me, just playing with Molly improves my outlook instantly. I'll post a picture of her soon.
5. And my all time favorite stress-reliever: popcorn. Air-popped popcorn (read: not the kind you pop in the microwave) is a healthy, delicious, stress-relieving snack. With a hint of salt, popcorn can accompany you during all sorts of stressful times: over finals, while writing papers, having serious conversations with your friends, while watching "Grey's Anatomy"...popcorn is always there for you.

Do you have any suggestions for relaxing and keeping stress at bay? I'd love to hear them...midterms will be here before you know it!

Labels: Jaclyn Wile, student blog