--Original published at Site Title

My current stress management game plan relies entirely on having free time to exercise. The night before a big exam, presentation, or project, I typically like to go for a long run in a new place or lift very heavily before studying and going to bed. Exercising works well for me as stress relief because it helps to remind myself that there are other things to channel my mental energy into when one class seems to be draining my mind. Rather than continue to cram or stress out about a test or assignment, I take a break from that information and give my attention to whatever exercise I’m doing. Since directing your body’s movement is not mentally draining like schoolwork can be, I can typically come back to the important information later with more energy.

Since I exercise daily, I don’t really depend on any other stress management activity. I do however like the idea of writing in a journal each day; I think that’s a great way to organize and clarify your thoughts and feelings when they seem overwhelming. Having a regular schedule and routine would also be a good way to help manage my stress since I don’t stay on campus for the entire day and am often driving to different engagements. Eating healthily with less sugar intake would help reduce my stress significantly as well.

--Original published at BillardnBlog

I would consider myself a “go with the flow” kind of person. I try to keep my stress levels pretty low and not let unimportant things stress me out. Although, the things that do give me stress raise the stress levels pretty high. Sometimes I may make things seem worst than they actually are. One of my biggest stressors is school and my classes. Mainly exams are what I stress out the most for. Other things I’ll stress about are deadlines for assignments, how busy my schedule is, or even some professors (not including MacFarlane). I do have some ways to try and manage these things that give me stress.

I think the biggest reason I get stress is because of my procrastination. Leaving everything to the last minute puts a lot of pressure and stress on my to get assignments done on time and have them done well. I can try to fix that by setting aside time to get work done. Also making sure these times are set in advance to any assignments being due. I do have a planner that I use to set up every week to help plan and organize my school work. One of my biggest stress relievers is exercise. Being in a sport or just going for a run helps me forget all of my problems and clear my head of anything bad that could have happened that day or week. It’s able to calm me down and refocus on the thing that was stressing me out. I think setting aside free time for yourself is important because is give you a break from anything that is bothering you. I know coloring can be very helpful as it is relaxing and fun to do. Being around other people can help; going out with friends will let you focus on something fun rather than what is stressing you out. From this you’re able to regain focus and calmness to work at the stressor that is causing a problem.

--Original published at Site Title

I find it very challenging to balance school with playing a sport which leads to me being very stressed on occasion. I’ve tried to figure out different stress management strategies and I’ve only found a few that actually help me. Often times when I’m very stressed out, I will step back and take a deep breath and then take some time to just sit and listen to music. It doesn’t really matter the genre, any type will help me get my mind off of things. I’ve also found that taking time to do simple things like read and watch movies or hang out with friends helps too. Sometimes even exercising and going on a run will help me clear my head and make me feel better. Though these strategies work for me I want to be able to prevent me from having to use them as much. I tend to procrastinate with my school work which is something I need to improve with. Something I want to start doing though is managing my time and being organized. I think that if I sit down and prioritize what work I need to get done or what tests I need to study for then I won’t have to stress about getting things done at the last minute. Having something like a checklist would help motivate me to keep up with my work. I also have heard that yoga is a very calming and relaxing thing so I’m interested in trying that to see how it helps with my stress.

--Original published at Site Title

When I get stressed from school work or I’m in a stressful situation I often take a deep breath and map out what I need to do.  The first thing I do in the beginning of the week is make a sticky note for each day and put on it the assignments or schoolwork I need to get done.  Spacing the work out I need to accomplish by the weekend helps me not to feel too overwhelmed all at once. When something gets done and I get to cross it off the list I feel huge relief off my shoulders. I like to stay very organized and on top of things not only with school work but other aspects of life too.  I hate when things happen unexpectedly or out of plan, like a pop quiz or an assignment a teacher throws in last minute.  These are the situations in which I get most stressed.  Exercise has always helps me to relieve an eventful of overwhelming day, a long run outside has always cured me. I try to schedule free time in my daily schedule as well to enjoy or do something I like, such as socializing with friends or watching a movie.  One thing I found I did quite frequently last year but not so much this is to color in a coloring book. Listening to music and a nice cup of green tea help to calm me down as well.  In the future, I would like to be able to cope better with the unexpected or the curve balls life throws at me.  Meditation is something I have always considered and wonder how well it works.  Learning different breathing strategies I think would also benefit me in a stressful situation.  I am interested to know others ways of stress relieving activities or management skills that I can incorporate into my life.

--Original published at Em

I chose option two which is a reflection on Kelly McGonigal. McGonigal started off with a study on 30,000 Americans asking how much stress they experienced? They were also  asked if they believed stress was harmful. Then the researcher checked the death rates. People who believed stress is harmful for their health had a 43% higher chance of dying. People who did not believe stress was harmful were least likely to die. 20,000 people died from stress  according to McGonigal.  That would mean that changing what you think about stress would make you healthier. Then McGonigal explains the research that if you rethink your biological reaction to stress as this is my body preparing me for a situation. The heart pumping fast is to get more oxygen to your brain. Then she moves on to Oxycontin  explaining it is just as a stress response as your heart pumping. Oxycontin makes sure you tell people you and get that support in stressful situations. Oxycontin helps repair your heart in social situations. A person then releases more Oxycontin when people interact with people. Caring for others can counteract the stress.

I think the speaker is credible because scientifically that is sound. She is a Professor at Stanford so that also heightens her credibility.  I agree with her also because physiologically there are a lot of examples where a persons mindset changes the outcome of an event. For example if you believe you cannot do something you automatically shut down or or subconsciously do not try as hard. In my life I feel this way about Chemistry I must change my mindset about it. I do not hate chemistry it is not too hard and then i can focus. I could implement this into my life by simply believing that the Adrenalin response  at exam time is to help me preform at my prime. I can also manipulate Oxycontin to repair my heart as Mcgonigal suggested.