College Student Finds Cure for Stress

Think of word that is six letters, avoidable, and detrimental. While you are playing the number game in your head, trying to match the presented adjectives with the letter count…I will give you another hint. What word is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances (New American Oxford Dictionary). With these clues, are you thinking of the word “stress”? If you are, congratulations. You are right, and you have probably encountered some form of stress in your life, at some point in time. As a college student who previously held three part-time jobs while taking on 18 units, I definitely know what stress feels like. But for those of you reading this essay, you may or may not know that there is a secret cure to stress, that has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. As a whistleblower, I am here to secretly break the silence. But beware, what you are about to read is classified information.

        So you say you are stressed? Okay…what did you do to get that illness. Did you share a drink with someone who had a cold and then caught a cold yourself? Probably not, you are most likely worried about something, maybe finances, maybe something else. Or you possibly just have a demanding schedule and you feel as if there is not enough time in the day to accomplish your tasks. For whatever reason, I’m here to give you the cure to destress your life. Unlike mental illnesses, whose factors can be anywhere from biological, psychological, or environmental, stress is an illness that is self-created. You do not inherent stress, your brain is not automatically programmed to be stressed, and the weather has nothing to do with stress. Stress occurs in your mind when you feel you cannot conquer something. You are not confident in the idea that everything will work itself out.

        To all students and working professionals in the millennial era, it is extremely important to CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. The word stress should be eliminated from your vocabulary just like the word can’t. Although you have probably previously used this word, it is now deemed as nonexistent, just like the Tyrannosaurus Rex that once dominated the Cretaceous Period. You shall no longer let stress dominate your life. To overcome this self-created illness deemed as stress I am prescribing that instead of focusing on the negative aspects in your life, you focus on the positive ones. You will find that this small change of thinking, will positively affect not only your health, but your happiness. As when you stress on the negative, it is most likely that you will be negative. This negative energy will carry on throughout your day, to your coworkers and peers, and before you know it…you “didn’t have a good day”.

        When you “_____” you worry (Remember, stress is no longer a word that exist in this essay). Where has worrying ever got someone? As a college student, I realize that I often worry about things that are far beyond my control. What’s the point of that? I literally cannot do anything in my power to make the Financial Aid Office release my scholarships faster or for my professor to grade my exams quicker. I could complain, however, that risk the relationship that I have with people, who are far more important that an avoidable amount of _____.  

        You are not _____ed. You are just figuring out a new solution to the current obstacle you are facing. Your way did not work, now let’s go back to the drawing board and come up with one that does. You can even consult your friends, family, and peers and ask for their opinion on how to get past your detour. Let us take on the role of a detective, whose mission is to gather facts and evidence to solve a case. Be the detective of your own life and figure out if you’re really _____ed or if you are just not counting your blessings. As the old saying goes, someone always has it worse than you. Although this statement is probably not what you would like to hear, I am simply recommending that you focus on the beautiful blessing around your life. Don’t let one negative event ruin the rest of your day. To cope with _____ take more walks, spend time reading, go to the beach, get out of your house, get off your phone! And enjoy life. Most importantly change the way you think. If your new mindset is that _____ doesn’t exist, then you cannot be _____ed. The bottom-line is that to cure ____ is simple, you need to act like it doesn’t even exist. Although it is easier said than done, eliminate worries from your life because everything always works itself out. In addition, be more optimistic about your life, change your way of thinking, make a list of things you are grateful for, read positive books, and most importantly tell yourself I can do this, no challenge is too big for me. With these steps, it is hard to say “I’m ______ed.”