The Stress isn’t Going Anywhere

Where is the stress going to go?

Often times, stress or the weight of our responsibilities is heavy on our shoulders. So heavy that we don’t take time to ourselves till that weight is gone. However, you have to ask yourself, where is the weight gonna go? Whether it is financial, personal, or academic stress; it will be right where you left it. So you can take a minute (or more) to yourself every now and then to cope with that stress

So what should you do?

Take a step back.

Whatever stressful situation you may be in, whether it is dealing with school, family, or finances, it is essential to practice self-care. Self-care can look different for each person depending on how they choose to cope with the situation they are in.

One way to practice self-care is by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is when an individual takes their time doing certain activities and becomes more aware of their actions and emotions. For instance, meditation would be a form of mindfulness in which the individual is focusing on their breathing and decreasing their ruminating thoughts.

Another way an individual can practice self care is by asking people for help. Don’t feel ashamed or feel weak asking others for help. Everyone goes through stressful times, but it may become easier if you have someone by your side supporting you and giving you advice along the way.

Stay in the here and now.

Just as taking a step back can help with stressful situations, so too can learning to stay in the here and now. This technique involves keeping your thoughts focused on what is happening at a particular moment in time in order to keep you from stressing about what the future might bring. What might happen in a week or a month from now is out of your control, but what is happening right now is in your control. It therefore makes sense to focus on the here and now, as opposed to worrying about what might happen in the future. By doing so, you can take time to truly enjoy what you are doing in that moment without letting the future get in the way of that.

Written by:

Daniella Raimondi, Clinical Intern

Dan Novak, Clinical Intern