Midterms are probably the second most stressful week of the semester, and I was so thankful for fall break.
It was strategically placed for right when all the students would need it the most.
With midterms being this week and last, it makes you realize how fast a semester goes by. Or maybe you feel as if you see how long it takes, but in my case it flew by.
Between the homework, papers, tests and other priorities, it gets really stressful really quickly.
Everyone should have an outlet to help release that stress.
My outlets are yoga and Ultimate Frisbee.
You hear all the time that physical activity relieves stress but you don’t believe it until it happens to you.
Before I would never get up off the couch with the goal of relieving stress by working out.
I think that everyone should be making time to do the things that they love. Putting down your text books, shutting your laptop and taking some time for yourself is really helpful.
After a long day of classes I always run off to play some Ultimate Frisbee.
I can’t even express the feeling I get when classes are done and I get to unwind with my friends and get some exercise.
I think it’s because of the exercise that I am able to go home afterward and do homework.
Studies do show that exercise is the No. 1 way to reduce stress. If this is the case, why don’t more college students become active?
I think it’s because they are too stressed to put down their work and take a break. If everyone would just take a break, even when they feel as if they didn’t have time to do that, you would come back feeling a lot less stressed and be able to complete the work in a more timely manner.
Now that fall break is over and classes are resuming, I am going to try to take a more proactive and active style. I want to try to stay on top of my work. But when I get stressed I want to take a break and get some exercise. If taking a break will get me through the work without being stressing out, why haven’t I been doing it all along?
That is what fall break has taught me — to stay active in times of a lot of stress. I had the opportunity to push aside the work and not worry about classes for a few days. Once I had played some Ultimate for a few hours, I felt myself ready to get my work done.
If there was one thing I could make everyone do, it is to take time away from your work to unwind. This past week has helped me more than you can imagine.
KAT SHINDLEDECKER
