Perspectives Perspectives Stressed Out!

In My Opinion

NEWS EDITOR

AAC722@CABRINI EDU

After a long night of studying for finals, my head hits the pillow and no sooner am I about to fall asleep a thought pops in my head, “I forgot to do my friggin genetics paper!” At 2 a.m. I drag myself out of my warm comfy bed and over to my hard wooden chair.

My mood goes sour as I Google my research. While looking up the information, I glance over at my “to do” list. I had also forgotten to finish my power point presentation. And not to mention another final on Thursday that I haven’t even started studying for yet!

I sit there for a couple of minutes and plan out how to have everything done on time. “Ok, so if I start the paper now, I will be finished by 3 and can wake up at 7 and be done the power point by twelve.”

I become overwhelmed with emotion as I worry about not finishing on time or receiving a bad grade because of the lack of time I have to do all this work.

My brain is constantly over playing its routine schedule of assignments edited with favors and work that just seems to sort of come up last minute. Where did all this stress come from?

I call my mom to see if she has fixed my computer since the virus. “Do you mind if I keep it a couple more days Ash? I didn’t have time to get to it.” Yeah, sure mom, keep it until the fall of next year for all I care, not like I need it or anything, I’m only in my junior year of college.

“Boy, my face is going to be popping with pimples today,” I think as I head over to the library to finish my power point.

“Shoot all the computers are taken, figures.” I go downstairs to the lab but after a half hour, I am bombarded with students. I look over at the board and realize there is a class in the lab until 12. “Just what I need!

Why God!”

The sudden cramming for finals, several last minute papers, deadlines and stress - when I think of all this, I know it has to be the end of the semester. But where did the time go?

It scares me to think that two years have already gone by and one is almost half over. I’m sure you can agree the end of the semester is a stress filled period.

But no matter how stressful the end of the semester may seem, we all find a way to get through it, whether its through extra help, extra credit or tears.

And even if you fall up a little short this semester, there is always the next to make up for lost time.

Don’t fall victim to extra stress because you want to procrastinate or think an assignment is worthless. Hold it together, get it done, then you can sit back and relax. I’ve learned my lesson this semester that you will have no one else to blame but yourself.

After hours and hours of staring at the computer screen, I am finally finished my assignments for the week. A feeling of relief comes over me as the teacher collects my paper.

I now know what I have to do; work on my time management skills and plan ahead.

“Wow, I guess I’m really starting to think like an adult.”

I head back over to my room to catch up on the much needed sleep I had been missing.

In My Opinion

own terms.

We all know how that feels. We all know what it’s like to stay up all night studying, writing a paper and starting the next day exhausted and still worrying if you had done enough the night before.

that were taking over my body the entire week.

COPY EDITOR VP724@CABRINI EDU

Stress is a part of our lives. Period. We worry about the things we have to do, about paying rent, about our grades, nailing that job interview and making time for ourselves to have some fun, among many other things.

Sometimes the stress takes a toll on our bodies and starts to affect our every day lives to the point where we cannot function without wanting to scream and cry because we are so overwhelmed.

That’s when we need to realize that there are positive ways to handle stress and calm it for the time being.

Recent studies have shown that stress is becoming increasingly more noticeable among young adults, especially those in college, who are constantly putting expectations on themselves, struggling to work and pay for college and get the desired grades in order to succeed on their

The headaches follow, the sweaty palms, the aches and many other annoyances. You start to worry not only about your schoolwork but the fact that you might be getting sick. The worrying never stops!

A recent blog posted on nytimes.com mentioned that the healthiest agers are adept to shedding stress. They know what to do to make those looming thoughts of schoolwork; jobs, friends and possible illnesses go away! There are ways to alleviate stress or calm it for the time being.

I recently woke up on a Saturday morning and drove to the beach, in hopes of relaxing and clearing my mind from what was a hell of a week filled with stress. I walked on the beach, felt the water and of course bought myself a tub of Johnson’s caramel popcorn, which ultimately made me feel better!

Besides all of that, just being somewhere other than school and the daily expectations of my life, was very refreshing and calmed the levels of stress

I’m not saying pick up and leave every time you feel the slightest bit of stress swarm your head but try to take some deep breaths and think of something that you know will calm you.

Stress doesn’t stay around forever and there are ways around it; ways that will help you function normally, without ripping your hair out daily.

Exercise is always a good stress reliever. Bundle up and run over to the gym, if you feel like your head is going to explode one day. Go for a brisk walk with a friend. Even drinking a nice, hot cup of tea or sitting down and watching television for a little bit, or laughing may relax you without even realizing it.

The point is, realize you are not alone, we all suffer from stress and it can be remedied. You just have to chill out and let yourself relax without worrying. Life is too good to stress all the time.

But, in the mean time, if you are suffering from bouts of stress, you should take this book into consideration, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.”