Whatchu Know About Stress?

         So let’s be really honest for a minute here. Like I mentioned in my previous blog, I thought straight up college would be a walk in the park. Going into my first semester, I was naively enthusiastic. Naïve being the key word here people. The workload is significantly different then in university. Did I mention I also now have 6 classes, instead of 5. So let’s break it down, that’s six classes, each with their own discussions, threads, quizzes, tests, group assignments, and individual submissions. Doing the math, that’s a $h*tload of work. This increase of workload leads me to feel stressed. And that my friends, is the purpose of this blog post, to discuss things we can all do to stress less. 

        Being stressed can have crazy effects on the body (also that’s desserts spelt backwards) such as head ache, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety, over eating, and the list goes on. What do I do to combat stress? Sure there are those times I feel very overwhelmed, but I remind myself this is nothing I can’t handle. Luckily, my professors are always available to lend a hand when I need it, not to mention my awesome classmates, now friends, who are always willing to help. At the end of the day, we are all in this together, and not too get all mushy on you, but I do find some comfort in that.

         My main combatant to stress is the gym. The gym is my saving grace, where you’ll find me 5-6 days of the week breaking a sweat. The gym is my solace where I can shut off my mind and give back to my body. I love being an athlete and pushing my body to it’s limits. I am starting to train for a half Ironman coming up in June, so now my time management will be tested even more so. If I’m pressed for time, I have the knowledge to cut my work outs down to 45 minutes or less but can still get in an extremely effective workout. Here’s an example of a short 20 minute conditioning workout you can do:

5 rounds of the following exercises, 1 min rest after each round:

20 jump squats, 20 pushups, 20 kettlebell swings, 20 jumping lunges, 1 min jump rope

         Other then the gym, I run. I run with my best friend and we just talk. We always say running is our therapy. Other than running and the gym, I meditate. Meditation makes you still and allows you to focus on nothing at all. You just be. You be with you thoughts and calm your mind and body. I learned from the best, my meditation guru, if you will, Rosa. She is the owner at Rise Mind Body Fitness, and she is incredible. I leave feeling grounded, balanced, and still. If you’re curious about her services, check her out on Facebook

My best friend & I after our 30 km running race :)

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         Lastly, the thing I do to relieve a little stress is talk to my family and friends. That is one of the simplest and easiest ways to feel a little lighter when you’re feeling overwhelmed, whether it be school or personal issues.

 Hope this blog has helped remind you to take some time to do something good for yourself :).