Stress Relievers

There are just days when each and every one of us are overcome by excess amounts of stress. Our minds become clouded with things we must tend to during our day, or during the week, as well as with personal problems we are dealing with. Stress is an inevitable part of life. Every one of us have our own ways of dealing with the stress we face.

As for me, I normally deal with stress in one of two ways (normally both). The first way I deal with stress I am dealing with is to get a nice, 45 minute-hour long workout in. A workout for me means I generally do 15-30 minutes of intense cardio, followed by 30-45 minutes of weightlifting and machines.

My goal is to exhaust my body, to bring on the pain (after all, no pain no gain, right?). Whatever has my mind preoccupied at the moment (which nowadays contains very sad notes), I actually tend to focus on as I work out. I think in general people try to forget what is bothering them. While this can be helpful, at some point in time whatever is bothering you must be addressed and dealt with, solved, and then subsequently forgotten about. I tend to focus on what is bothering me, and run on the treadmill or bike, pushing my heart rate to the red zone (180-200 beats per minute).

Then I walk to the weight room and repeat the process. Switching between different machines and weights, different exercises. I normally do 3-4 sets of 10 -12 or so reps, focusing on the range of motion in my muscles. The soreness is satisfying. I channel my thoughts on my problem, and lift until I experience what is known as "the pump" when the blood has pumped to and filled up your muscles that you are exercising, making them tight, and hard. The sensation is therapeutic for me. To an extent, what I do in the gym might be equated to an angry person wanting to take out their anger with a punching bag, as opposed to punching whomever has made them feel a certain way (Granted, I seldom think of punching people as I work out, but rather lifting away my worries, fears, and concerns, at least for short period of time).

The next way I deal with stress is to listen to music. Most often these days I enjoy listening to background acoustic music using the PC app called "Spotify". It relaxes me, and I work on class work as I listen, thinking about the problems stressing me out in the process. Listening to music is a common method for calming nerves, channeling positive energy, and working to resolve your problems.

Whatever the case my be, stressful situations will make you stronger when you reach the peak of the mountainous problem you find yourself facing. It is also essential to remember, always, that you can never control your circumstance; however, you can choose to face it with a positive attitude and a healthy mentality.