Yep, you read that right. For most students, this time of year can feel like a mixture of excitement, anticipation, anxiety, depression and panic, to name just a few. Combined these feelings can lead to a little stress.
You have more than likely heard of all the ways to combat and manage stress. So, let’s take a different approach today. Want to stay stressed? Just do this:
• Eat anything you want, at any time of day.
• Never, under any circumstances, exercise.
• Pull all-nighters on a regular basis.
• Personalize all criticism and constructive feedback received.
• Avoid all of these strange “new age” relaxation strategies.
• Break off friendships as soon as something doesn’t go your way.
• Study, study, and study some more…there is no time for fun.
• Make more promises than you can keep.
• Forget your sense of humor.
• Never ask for help.
• Become a workaholic.
• Procrastinate.
• Worry about things you can’t control.
• Go to bed really late.
• Forget the “good” and remember only the “bad”.
• Compare yourself to others.
• Avoid fresh air.
• Never take a break.
Everyone feels a little stress at times. Consider having this exercise
in your "back pocket" when you need to relax and refocus.
• Find a quiet spot.
• Remain standing.
• Close your eyes.
• Take 10 deep breaths.
• Breathe in through your nose to a count of 10, and then out through your mouth to a count of eight.
• Listen to yourself breathe in, and breathe out.
• Try to visualize the color white.
• Take 10 more deep inhalations and exhalations, again listening to your
own breathing.
• Roll your head all the way around very slowly, first to the right three times, then to the left three times.
• Take three more deep breaths, and then slowly open your eyes.
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From PaperClip Communications (www.paper-clip.com)
