This isn't my first rodeo, however. I've spent the last year and a half attending a smaller university, and because I'm in my 30's, I've had to maintain a full time work schedule while managing a full-time course load. Needless to say, I've felt a bit like a circus clown, juggling my life around. I've also had the added pressure of maintaining a near perfect GPA to ensure that I got into that ivy league school. My life feels a bit like a fairytale right now, but none of it would be possible without some serious hard work, and some major stress management skills! Here are a few of the tools I have in my arsenal:
Always have a tennis ball near by
You're probably sitting there scratching your head, asking yourself, "what the heck am I going to do with a tennis ball". No, you won't be hitting the court. I use it to undo all of the tension in my neck, take the knots out of my back, and ease my sore wrists. It's cheaper than getting a massage!
Learn to meditate
This is a relatively new venture for me. I am definitely a person who suffers from stress and anxiety and I started to recognize that it was affecting me physically. I started to get severe back pain, headaches and I felt like I couldn't catch my breath sometimes. There are a series of meditating techniques that will help you to calm your mind, get centred and feel refreshed. Sometimes you just need to hit the restart button.
Eat a balanced diet
This should come as no surprise that what you eat can have a positive or negative impact on your stress level. You don't need to go learn how to become a dietician to know that consuming high amounts of refined sugars makes your blood sugar shoot through the roof, but also increases your blood pressure. High blood pressure and stress can go hand-in-hand, and it's a combination for disaster. You know how the old adage goes, "stress kills"? Well they weren't kidding.
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