For the last two weeks, I've been on a rollercoaster of emotions and stress. And it's kind of ironic that this week's prompt is about relaxing because I feel like I need to remind myself how to. Stress happens to everyone, at any time; it can be minor and short, or it can stay on your mind.
Usually with stress, comes the feeling of being burnt out, fatigue, lack of motivation, lack of focus, etc... You sort of feel like you're panicking or drowning: there's too many things to do, too many options, too many outcomes... until you realize that you do have to just breathe.
For me, I fall victim to overthinking and anxiety: add stress to the equation, and lately I've been a mess. For a moment, I had to deal with school, work, and (everyone's favorite) relationship problems. Typical or cliché, but what's more stressful than dealing with feelings and emotions.
Every time I find myself in this position, I always like to talk it out or write it out. I find someone to talk to or I talk to myself. But I always try to release the emotions that are built up inside of me. When I write, I write down everything on my mind: whether it's making a list (to-do's, pro's and con's) or a diary journal. I can get carried away when I physically write down what I want to say or what I am thinking; but afterwards, I feel better because it's not held in anymore.
For students, I know it can be very difficult or overwhelming when they become stressed. They go through many phases in their growing years, and this means, sometimes, they're not emotionally stable.
What I would do in a classroom to try to de-stress students would be to:
- At the start of class, have everyone take 5-10 minutes to themselves and their minds:
- They can take out a piece of paper and write down anything they want
- Put their heads down and close their eyes.
Everyone manages their stress differently. And our lives are busy: we are constantly expected to move and be productive. I want to start my class off releasing or spending some time to pause and really just breathe.