Being a Freshman in college, there are so many things to worry about. But transitioning from the work in High School to the work in College can be a very big step. The workload jump for me was very hard to overcome. This can put major stress onany student. There are many ways to manage stress but the first thing to figure out is what causes it in the first place. I am a Linear learner so the stress diagram was perfect for me. I chose the top five things that gave me stress then split them up in a pie chart. I love my girlfriend to death but she does stress me out sometimes and being three hours away doesn't really help. When we are in a fight its hard to think about anything else, especially getting motivated to do my work. Others in my top five stressors include my grades, my family, lacrosse, and my friends in that order. Grades for me are very big deal. I may not show it sometimes but I hate getting back bad grades. Succeeding in school is a very big stressor for me. My next is my family. There are always so many things going on and so many people to make happy it can get very stressful. This is wheretaking a nice break from them can help so much. Lacrosse has always been stressful for me. I love the sport and I want to succeed playing it. Having to perform each day at practice when your starting position is on the line while thinking about school and a girlfriend can be so stressful. My last major stressor is my friends. Keeping up with everything that is going on at school and keeping promises with them stresses me out. I sometimes forget about things that I said I was going to do and that makes people not happy with me. This is the diagram I whipped up in Photoshop.
I then created a Stress Reduction Plan to combat these stressful things. This is a list in order that I can look at if I become too stressed. I can go down the list and find something that will take my mind off whatever I am stressed about.
My first is of course riding snowmobile. There is really nothing like it. When I'm out riding, nothing else matters. My head is clear and I can take out my frustrations on the snow or jumps. It is such a calming experience for me. The only thing with this choice is that it can only be done in the winter. While in CNY it seems like its winter all the time, there are some times where there is no snow so that choice cannot be done. So my next is working out. It is very calming to get a really good workout in. My next one is to do some design work. When I'm doing photoshop or anything like that I am in my own little world and nothing can touch me. Working in the shop can relieve my stress just as good as anything. Pounding metal with a hammer can take away frustrations like nothing else. Taking a nap is always a way to disconnect from the world and calm down. When I was feeling stressed this week I went down to the basement and worked out until I felt better. I will continue to use these strategies as long as I have stress.s
All in all, once one figures out what is causing them stress, they can create a plan to combat that stress. Since stress is always changing, it is most productive to make a stress diagram every few weeks or even every week. The Stress Reduction Plan can also be updated when one finds a new activity to do to keep their mind at ease.
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