Friday, April 25, 2008

Student gives insight on the ‘stress mess’

By Alexa Strouth
Cardinal Staff

There’s less than two weeks left of school, and finals will be here faster than you know it. From all the assignments and projects headed up your alley, you might be feeling stressed out.
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Stress can affect anyone at any age; stressful life experiences are sometimes unavoidable. Sometimes stress can even be helpful, as it can encourage you to meet a deadline or get things done. But long-term stress can increase the risk of diseases like depression, heart disease and a variety of other problems. The key to dealing with stress is how you process it. Here are some substance-free tips on avoiding stress:

*Eat right and exercise
*Set realistic goals
*Handle important tasks first and eliminate unessential tasks
*Take a break and meditate to slow down your mind
*Reduce the urge to be “perfect”
*Be flexible
*Avoid excess competition
*Reduce criticism
*Don’t stress when expectations are not met
*Manage your anger
*Push away negativity of any kind
*Give yourself “me” time
*Be cheerful; it deflates others’ stress and anxiety
*Silence your phone at night
*Dab scented oils, cologne or perfume on your wrist to sniff as an aromatherapy reminder to relax when you feel stressed
*Utilize relaxation techniques: yoga, meditation, breathing, or stretching
*Laugh more, and often
*Monitor your communication skills
*Remember you can only change yourself

I hope that the next time you feel stressed out you can remember some of these stress relievers and focus on more important things, like finishing the rest of the year. I highly recommend yoga as a good stress reliever. Yoga helps you focus on your breathing and puts mental frustration at ease. Hopefully, you can control your stress before it controls you, and you can lead a happy, stress-free life!

For more information about yoga, visit http://www.yogasite.com/postures.html

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