Stress Less

My world is currently a mess. Yesterday I had to register for classes, and since my enrollment time was one of the last one's allotted, I was closed out of all of my classes except for one. I'm not even considered a student with one class! So, that put me in a sour mood. In order to relieve some stress I decided to go out with my friends that night. I showered, did my hair, put on my makeup, and changed my outfit three times only to decide that I was too tired to go out. It's the constant stressors that are occupying my mind that are making me so irrational and frankly, not too fun to be around.

This week I created a "Stress Diagram" where I listed everything that is currently giving me stress and then sectioned off the amount of stress each source was giving me. It was no surprise after I created the diagram that getting into Newhouse and earning excellent grades this semester were my two biggest stressors. For everyone that knows me, it's pretty obvious. I then marked three other equal sections labeled "Pick Classes" "HTW Final" and "Formal Date". It's a little sad to think that finding a formal date holds the same amount of weight in my mind as doing well on my HTW final...but that's a girls mind for you! However, the "Stress Diagram" helped me prioritize the causes for my stress and helped me identify the issues I need to address first, aka NEWHOUSE!

I also tried using the "5-Minute Escape" but it didn't work for me. I'm a very impatient person, so doing something like meditating or yoga is hard for me to do. If i'm working out i'd rather be on the elliptical breaking a sweat than sitting with my legs twisted on a mat. Likewise, when I want to relax I find that by laying in bed for half an hour and watching a TV show helps. This way I am focusing on someone else's problems rather than mine.