This week in College Psychology, we started to cover the topic of stress.
I don’t think that a better week could have been chosen because so far this has been one of most stressful weeks I have experienced this school year. This has resulted in me spending a lot of time thinking about stress.
Stress is the body’s reaction to a physical threat. Note that it is the reaction to a physical threat, not mental threat. Our body starts prepping to either run away or fight.
Now this is the perfect thing to have happen to you if you are about to run an 800 meter race. However, most of the stressors we experience in a modern day world are not physical.
Currently the only physical stressor I am experiencing now is winter training for track. The training is very intense, but being stressed actually helps in this situation. However, with all the other stressors I have, the same cannot be said.
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This past week was particularly stressful due to multiple reasons. First off, I had my usual schoolwork load. That is enough to have me stressed out without anything added to it.
The big burden I had added on was taking the ACT at the end of the week. I signed up for it last minute, and finding time to study was almost impossible. Worrying about college is usually something I can control, but the ACT encourages the uncertainty to the point where it festers in my mind. Also, I really need to get more sleep and with the ACT coming up, the pressure was on.
The sad thing is that the stress does have an impact. I look at my eighth grade friend Megan, and she hardly ever gets stressed out about anything besides running – and even then she has that under control.
Megan hardly ever gets sick. I, on the other hand, get sick enough to the point where I get sick at the same time each year. Even when I’m not sick I am fighting a stress headache just about all of the time.
The good news is that there is hope for those who are constantly stressed. First off, exercise is important. One of the big reasons I believe I didn’t handle my stress very well last week is because I was recovering from a sickness and couldn’t exercise for a lot of it.
The day felt the best was on Friday, and that was the day where I got my butt kicked by this intense workout at Speed and Strength.
Along with having regular exercise, talking with people will relax you. I would like to thank my parents for putting up with me and being patient during the school year. I’ve also found that talking with people who don’t worry as much can rub off on you. Just spending an afternoon with Megan makes me feel so much better.
Exercise and friends will help you feeling better emotionally and physically, but if you want to get work done so you’re not as worried, it is vital to be organized.
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When you go to study or do homework, go in an environment where you can be focused for a long time. Allow yourself study breaks, and plan when you are going to get homework done. Keep your phone in a different room – you are not going to be accountable when you promise yourself that you won’t touch it.
Most importantly, for me at least, I find it helps the most to just trust in God. I tend to fret a lot when I know I’ll be just fine. I’ve noticed that when I don’t worry about my fate and just trust Him things always work out.
I’m not saying slack off because God can catch you. No, you have to work like you have incredible competition and relax because God is there.
I know that it’s going to all work out in the end. Stress isn’t going to defeat me this year.
Holly McCamant is a junior at Frazee-Vergas High School.
