Become one with nature

Maybe that's a little dramatic. How about just enjoying or noticing it? This falls under the general stress relieving method that is distraction. Focus on something pretty about your surroundings, or take note of something interesting out there that you never took the time to appreciate before. If you're surrounded primarily by bricks, steel and cement, and wildlife to you is the occasional bird or maybe squirrel, step out of your element when you get the chance. Go somewhere where there's enough nature to get absorbed in, even briefly, that is actually serves as a pleasant distraction.

One of my friends and I take full advantage of our surroundings at school by going on walk on and around campus. Walking was initially the stress reliever in the situation. We reached points where we just wanted to get away from school work or out of the house, so walking was our solution to physically get us away from those things. Eventually, we realized one of the reasons our walks even work is because of what surrounds us. Our campus is on a steep hill in a pretty forested area at the south end and a more urban one at the north end. Believe me we've walked everywhere possible, and the more relaxing stroll usually immerse us in nature, not traffic and buildings. When we started appreciating the beauty of our surroundings, walking became even more enjoyable and stress relieving. When we pay attention, we usually notice something different out there, even when we take a typical route, or we notice a new path to take. Walking takes my mind off of daily stressors I have to address by letting me take in my surroundings. I wold regret not appreciating the nature on my campus if I graduated without taking advantage of it.

Another more dedicated way to enjoy nature is to go camping. I've gone camping with my family in the Boundary Waters on routes my dad mapped out forgetting we're not all pros at that kind of stuff... However, even my mom who was basically kind of irrationally concerned for our well-beings the whole time, we all sincerely appreciated the opportunity to experience being a part of those surroundings. It's a difficult scene to do  justice with a quick explanation. Despite the soreness that resulted from long portages, I'd say none of us felt any stress out there. An easier method might be getting a couple friends together and go to a lake for a weekend. Good company and the beauty of nature are a guaranteed stress reliever!

Drink Up!

Water, that is.

I think the health benefits that come with staying hydrated really contribute to a healthy lifestyle that is helpful in minimizing stress. I've mentioned my theories on living healthy when I posted about exercising and getting enough sleep. It's just one less thing to worry about and a good self-confidence booster. When you feel good physically, you feel good mentally.

Dehydration causes things like muscle cramps, constipation, dry skin and headaches. Another common result of thirst is mistaking it for hunger. As an honest food-lover who already eats just to eat regularly, I guess I don't really need to eat when I can just drink. Try to take note of this physical hungry feeling next time, and realize if your mind is actually just tricking you. These are all really annoying disruptions in your day and some of those little stressors you don't even realize are ruining your mood. In addition to a hectic schedule or a weighing decision or dilemma, you don't also want to be constipated...

Drinking water is so important, the Department of Health and Human Services created a "drinking water week" a few years ago.

This is an easy enough way to stay feeling physically fresh from day to day, and it can also help you out to mentally tackle the work day. When you're feeling particularly bogged down during the day, take a water break, like an athlete but for some different reasons. Use this time to gather your thoughts and organize the rest of the day in your mind before embarking upon the nest task. Or don't think about what brought you to that water break, and make it a brief separation from an overbearing boss or term paper.

There are a ton of reasons to drink water and stay healthy, and one is to relieve some stress. So drink up!

Be selfless

Next time little stressors in life become too much to handle, try doing something good for someone else. My freshman year of college was a pretty hectic time in my life, not taking into account adjusting to college life and taking care of school work. Needless to say I was stress out. After a while, an opportunity came up to go to a local middle school to hang out with the kids after school. So I went without really thinking too much of it. I like kids and I wanted to get off campus. We helped a few kids with homework then played basketball before their parents came to pick them up for the day. Two of the boys took a liking to hanging out with me and got excited when I would go back. I certainly didn't making any kind of lasting impression upon their lives, but I learned a lot about them and they got to have a fun afternoon. Even after the first day, I felt a little better in general.

I think I can attribute this to thinking more about the kids I was with than about myself. In my previous post, I mentioned the ideas that there is more out there than whatever's stressing you out and things will improve. I say I experienced this my freshman year. I was so wrapped up in what was going wrong in my life and causing me stress, I forgot about possible solutions in everything else that was going on around me.

So the stress reliever I want to stress in post post is to think about other people and take a break from getting lost in your own thoughts. Of course it feels good to help others out, but doing so partially for the selfish reason of trying to shake your own stress can be okay, too. Keep in mind the amount of people that benefit from selflessness... it can include you!

More than one right answer

Stress can result from hard decisions, let downs or mistakes, which are probably hard to shake from your thoughts. Things like this are inevitable and happen to everyone. For instance, I just missed a meeting with a professor because I mistakenly thought I scheduled it amongst the rest of my week's meetings I scheduled for Friday, not Thursday; one of my friends was just informed he did not get the one internship he really had his eye on; and my brother recently struggled with deciding upon one of two schools at which to attend high school. These are a few of the vast amount of stressors that occur everyday. I'm sure you can think of a dozen of your own right off the top of you head.

Think about how many hard decisions, let downs or mistakes you've faced and how often. Now think of that amount as a number of accomplishments. Your whole life you've ultimately successfully conquered all these stressors that probably drove you crazy at the time you dealt with them. Even when you feel like you don't have options or made the wrong decision, it's never been the end of the world. This is when it is time to think through your options. Rarely if ever is there only one right answer. Look at whatever situation you're facing from as many angles as possible. Recognize that the future might bring changes and more options. It is certainly difficult to step back from a stressful situation and think completely rationally, but sometimes this is the best stress reliever. It might remind you that you've been in this position before, and everything has always improved or worked itself out. Learn from the stressful moments of your past.

One way to think rationally in the face of stress is to make lists. "Lists relieve stress and focus the mind. 'Lists,' sociologist Scott Schaffer told The Oregoniannewspaper, 'really get to the heart of what it is we need to do to get through another day on this planet.' "

Or prepare for these obnoxious stressors by recognizing your situation and practicing solutions. In this case practice stepping outside of your stress and remember there is always more than one right answer.

Mind Wandering

Below is a comment from Silagh White, a follower of this blog who offers her own suggestions to stress relief.

"I used to be a runner. Since my knees have deteriorated, I swim when I can (dang, limited Lehigh pool schedule) and do a lot of baking. Many of my experiments don't work. But it's the handy work that helps me relax. Just taught my daughter how to make basic bread by hand yesterday. That turned out a lot better than muffins earlier in the week.

"I think it's the repetitive motion that focuses thoughts. I have also found great opportunity for mind wandering while gardening, knitting, sewing or crafting. Some of my friends enjoy making art as stress relief. Classes at Banana Factory are great for that. And also drumming circles are very effective."


I strongly agree, and have previously mentioned, the idea that repetitive motion or thinking can serve as a successful means to distraction, thought organization or a general pick-me-up if the repetition involves something you can actively enjoy. One article mentions four my previous suggestions: journaling, meditation, exercise and music. Logic games like sudoku also offer the opportunity to focus your thoughts on something that's not stressing you out.

Baking is a good idea because, in addition to preoccupying yourself, you can end up with a tasty reward. Baking or cooking also lets you create and go through trial and error, which can be an emotional release for some people. I actually tasted one of Silagh's baked concoctions, and it was a delicious muffin! This stress relieving tactic can improve another person's day, as well!

Heed some of Silagh's suggestions and find the "mind wandering" experience that best suits you!

Journaling

Yesterday's post about avoiding distractions and clearing your mind enough to get a good night of sleep is motivation for this post. I inspired myself to finish up the rest of my day efficiently and to think about tomorrow when tomorrow arrived. It was great to fall asleep right away and not wonder if I should get up early in case I forgot to get something done. It was a much-needed mental and physical rest that I probably wouldn't have achieved without writing my previous post. For this reason, I encourage you to journal.

Writing down your thoughts may open you to a new kind of organization that completely internalizing might prevent. Being able to view your emotions on paper could give you a new perspective on what's stressing you out or how to deal with it. Or, like my post, use journaling to encourage yourself. I didn't realize I was doing it, but writing my post  yesterday provided the motivation I apparently needed to de-stress enough to sleep well.

I consider this to be a pretty personal experience, so try a few different methods of writing down your thoughts or feelings until you find one that suits you  and your schedule.

Need. Sleep.

Tonight I'm going to write about the need for sleep because that is exactly what my mind and body is feeling right now. I have been a little stressed about the amount of stuff I have to get done, but I haven't been committing to any all-nighters or being overly active or anything. So I don't exactly know why I'm exhausted, but I am. Unfortunately, I have to admit that it might have to do with some petty distractions that I have just succumbed to every time lately. My work will be complete for the day, then I'll stay up until odd hours doing useless things or talking to whomever I run into in my house. From past experience, I know this will catch up with me when I do have a long day of work and I don't have the energy to do it to full potential. Then, that will stress me out.

There is probably a number of solutions depending on the distraction, but heed some advice if you ever feel like you have found yourself in this habit of delaying going to bed. Women, take Harvard's advice as motivation to just end your day. In addition to the obvious feeling of lethargy, lack of sleep can slow your metabolism and weaken your immune system. And, like I've said before, letting yourself fall into poor physical condition probably isn't going to improve your mental or emotional state. This would just be another thing to worry about. College students, I know we've all pulled all-nighters and it feels inevitable at times, but you don't feel too pleasant the next day, right? Avoid it when possible. Try following some of these tips, and remember, "College students who pull “all-nighters” are more likely to have a lower GPA."

In general, here's what I should try harder to stop doing: constantly snacking at night, watching too much TV, joining whatever conversation comes my way for far too long and just thinking too much to actually let my brain rest. Most of my distractions are things I should just avoid, and others can be attributed to lack of organization and an increasing lack of energy for obvious reason.

So just remember how important sleep is, even when you have a million thing on you mind or encounter a Real Housewives marathon. STress is definitely more likely when you're not well-rested!