Randomness at its best.

Even as a young college student, I can tell you: Stress sucks.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though the stress load will get any lighter as life continues.  In times of a worsening economy, high levels of stress are becoming more and more frequent among adults and students alike.  According to a test conducted by The Associated Press, approximately 80 percent of college students battle stress everyday, and according to The Washington Post, 54 percent of Americans in general worry about their levels of stress.  Small amounts of stress may sound harmless enough, but studies have proven that as the amount of stress grows, it can lead to chronic pain, migraines, depression, anxiety, and even heart attacks and strokes.  How comforting.

Luckily, there are tons of websites and books dedicated to stress-managements techniques.  A few of my favorite ways to deal with stress are:

            Eat healthy snacks.  Seriously.  It may be tempting to run to the vending machine a grab four Hershey bars, but then you’ll find yourself worrying about the pounds you’re putting on.  Carrots, crackers and cheese, mandarin oranges, and bananas are convenient and healthy snacks that don’t make you cringe when you later look at the calories.

            Take a five-minute meditation break.  It’s just long enough to allow you to clear your mind without chancing falling asleep on your desk.  If you are not in a quiet place and there’s not one available, have some soothing tunes and headphones nearby.  Artists like Enya and Yanni are perfect for finding tranquility.

            Laugh.  You’d be surprised at how much smaller your workload seems after you’ve read or seen something funny.

            Set realistic goals for yourself and set priorities.  Pressuring yourself into doing three things at once isn’t realistic and will only tire you.

            Get a massage from a loved one.  Who doesn’t love massages?  Peppermint-scented massage oil, usually available and Bath and Body Works, helps to alleviate stress, too.

Okay, so favorites may not suit everyone.  For those of you who would like more tips:

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/101ways.htm

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/694335/top_10_ways_to_deal_with_stress.html?cat=60

http://www.topten.org/public/BF/BF137.html

http://www.evilpasta.com/11g.shtml (For those of you who would like to make others laugh)

http://www.forbes.com/health/2007/05/01/stress-health-office-forbeslife-cx_avd_0502stress.html  (If you’d like even more reading)

http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/tp/stressreliefkid.htm  (Because you know you still have some kid left in you!)

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