By Catrina Leone
Do you ever feel like your life is like a rubber band? Stretching back and forth, back and forth until it eventually snaps…? I have been in that position multiple times. Stress and anxiety are killers for the mind, body, heart and soul. As we near the end of the semester, I want to tell you all how I managed to stop letting the rubber band rule my life, and how I have found the balance.
Stress and anxiety can come in many forms. Someone may have cut you off this morning in traffic, you may have arrived late to work, and maybe you spilled your coffee all over your new shirt. Sound familiar? Every day can bring new stressors, new anxieties. Especially in college when you are trying to juggle more than one thing at a time. I went to The Ohio Center For Broadcasting three days a week, interned at a radio station from 5:00 am – 8:00 am, where I currently work two of the other days, all while working at a bakery. It sounds crazy, right? Well it gets crazier; I have not missed a day of school since I was 8. I thank my immune system for that one.
You may wonder how to find that balance in your own life. First of all, know that worrying steals your happiness and overthinking kills it. Also know that there are healthy ways to deal with stress when it appears, those of which do not include alcohol or drug abuse. It may seem like the edge is taken off, but another more serious problem can present itself if you are not careful. That knot in your stomach, that kink in your neck, awful feelings. Breathing deeply, taking a relaxation class, and prayer have helped me immensely. Whatever helps to calm you that is healthy, is the right way to go. Life has no guarantees, but you can take control of how you react to different situations. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Stress is inevitable but you do not need to become the victim.
As the semester comes to a close, take this all with you and know that you are not alone in the battle against anxiety and stress! You can hold victory, once you find the right healthy way to handle stress.
- Tags: catrina leone, Stress, western campus
