Stress. Stress is the body’s reaction when there has been a change within one’s environment that requires an action or thought to be taken. Right now, stress is inevitable. You all are probably facing a situation that seems to be like a cloud of darkness over our lives. However, I am here to tell you that even when it really does seem like this quarantine will never end there is a way to maintain your sanity and survive this lockdown.
Baking
First off, my personal favorite activity that also seems to be America’s current pastime, baking. Now there are two types of baking that you can do, the healthy baking to maintain your figure and come out looking like a model after quarantine or the fun baking that includes brownies and pies that make your home smell like Christmas in May. If you can’t tell which is my favorite, then let me emphasize that I love Christmas. But, a way to make baking a method to destress can be to try new recipes every time you bake. I have noticed that when I follow a recipe and I have had a long day because I am focusing on getting the same product as tasty does in their videos, I start to forget why my day was so sad and bad. I really recommend baking as a method to release stress and who knows you can even open a bakery as a side business to pay for medical school/graduate school.
Journaling
Another heart-healthy way to manage the stress that seems to be working for my friends is writing down their day in a notebook and adding doodles to their entry. Now, I know that it seems ironic that I am basically giving the advice of “writing in a diary” but believe even if you're writing about that cute neighbor you see throwing out the trash, it can make you feel relieved. It is so strange how the human mind deals with stress; it creates these hormones that make your body crazy and anxious, but you never realize how liberating it is to write down all that is worrying you because you're putting your mind into words. I am not a writer myself but when I am stressing over something big that I can’t tell my friends because they’ll call me crazy, I rip a piece of normal paper and write down what is stressing me out and then I rip it into as many small pieces as I can. Heck even doodling on a blank page helps, how do you think cartoons were invented. You never know you could be doodling the next version of SpongeBob.
Exercise
Also, Exercise! I almost forgot the hellish activity that is important in a time like this. Exercise can dramatically reduce stress. When you exercise you release endorphins which are basically the happy hormones of the body. Not to mention that exercise can potentially rescue the possibility of developing complications if one of you become affected by COVID-19. My main point about exercise is that when you are running or even lifting that box of Oreos, you are in a mindset where you are focusing on your breath or how many Oreos are left, and you forget your worries. Right now, in a time like this where days feel like they have meshed together and all feel the same, it is so easy to forget to enjoy the moment. Addicts are told to take it one day at a time but when one day feels like every day, I know that it can be challenging to really focus to enjoy a single moment.
I am writing this article on managing stress because I hope that it can make you smile. I really hope that this article opens your eyes to different ways people just like you who are maintaining their sanity and dealing with these uneasy feelings. I really want you to know that it's okay if you’re getting frustrated and feel like it is such an impossible situation but there are ways that you can still enjoy the moment and destress. Whether it’s baking, writing, exercise, or even listening to music, know that you will get through this long day and soon a “normal” day will come.
Sincerely,
Nicole Coca :)
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