Hi guys!
How are you? I hope you’re doing well. If not, I hope you feel better after you read this.
I just wanted to share with you a couple of suggestions to cope with life stresses. As high school or college students, we not only have academics going on, but life is happening at the same time. Therefore, it can get overwhelming, especially when unexpected things happen to us. Hence, I thought I’d share with you a few things that have helped me cope with stresses over the years:
1. Maintaining a spiritual life:
Whenever I feel down or overwhelmed, when I feel like I can’t go on anymore and I am ready to give up, prayer is one of the things I often recur to. I like to know that above anything else that goes on, God is in control and that everything is going to be okay. I also like to read the Bible since it provides me with a sense of comfort and strength and I also like to read Christian books for I feel like they help me grow spiritually and give me a different perspective on the situations that I face.
2. Writing things down or speaking to a counselor
If I am feeling extremely caught up with my emotions and I do not have anyone to talk to or I feel like they won’t, can’t, or don’t understand, I write things down. I write exactly how I feel without any restrictions, I just go on about it until I feel better. Further, I also try to go to my counselor consistently. I feel like this way I don’t bottle things up and I get the professional feedback that I need.
3. Working out or hanging out with friends
To reduce my stresses, I usually try to work out. Lately, my passion has been swimming, so I try to swim as often as I can. Exercise not only helps to reduce stress, but it also boosts your self-esteem. At least, it boosts mine lol. — Hanging out with friends also helps. I don’t do this often, but when I do, I feel much better about everything else.
4. Reaching out support systems
Lastly, a very important suggestion to keep in mind is to reach out to people that can help you. This not only implies people that have the resources to do so, but that are willing to listen and give you THE TALK if necessary. This includes teachers, mentors, family, friends, therapists, etc. People you have built significant relationships with and can keep you on your toes.
I cannot emphasize how important it is to be mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. Not only does it make you feel better, but also perform better. Therefore, I encourage you to try one of these suggestions so that you can start coping with your life stresses!
Sincerely,
Brenda