Health

Why did I choose this topic to write about from among many of them? I asked myself. The reason is that even though I learned about healthy ways to cope with stress in university, I currently struggle with stress in unhealthy ways which is my defense mechanism. However, I remember to overcome stress with satisfying results when I take whatever action is required to deal with the specific stress triggers. Such as, I prepared for an important exam by studying in advance. In my perspective, I would like to share the healthy ways I deal with stress.

First, what are the unhealthy ways to cope with stress? When we are under a lot of stress, we might eat a lot or otherwise skip meals. Another person may drink for several nights at a time or spend a whole day in front of the TV. It all boils down to avoidance of the stressful situation which prevents us from relieving the stress. Even if avoidance gives us a moment's pleasure, we will have to eventually deal with the bigger anxieties. In the end, the stress that could have potentially been solved with a minimal effort is prolonged with worries built up inside. Sometimes, serious avoidance leads to addiction and other stress.

So, what are some healthy ways to deal with stress? The answer is very simple and clear. Face the stress. We should not run away from any stressor but take enough time for deep insight and reflection to figure out what is causing the stress, and then confront it to overcome it. Meditation, yoga, and relaxation exercise clears our mind and can provide insight to a stressor. If the stressor is a "person", we should solve it through conversation as much as possible, rather than avoiding the person. What if you are stressed by sudden weight gain? It's simple. Do not hesitate to confront your body and see the results of overeating. Only you can stop from getting stressed out.

I would like to end my story with an example that crossed my mind as a healthy way to deal with stress. It is the story of the ant and the grasshopper that everyone should read at least once. The grasshopper heard from the ant that the cold winter was coming, and he knew he had to work hard to prepare for winter like the ant does. Nevertheless, the grasshopper avoided the situation by just goofing around and having fun without facing the problem and suffered a cold winter. On the other hand, the wise ant had a warm winter because he was prepared and completely adept at how to face the stress of winter without avoiding it. If the grasshopper had not avoided the reality, he could have spent the whole winter warm. Like the ant we need to face our stressors and create strategies to deal with them.