With each passing semester, time seems to fly by faster and faster. I still find it hard to fathom that I’m just about half-way done with my undergraduate career. So it goes.
So with that thought looming in the back of my mind, it’s time to write the last volume of “So It Goes.” for the semester. With the days winding down and the due dates piling up, I can find no better topic to focus on than stress.
My belief on the stress that I have accumulated as of recently is that it’s kind of necessary in order to get through life. Additionally stress comes to each of us in many different forms. Personally, when I can feel the pressure starting to build up, I find myself being unable to sleep or focus normally. Other friends I know handle the strain by overeating, undereating, disregarding responsibilities, and even pushing away loved ones. So the effects that stress can have on any one person are undoubtedly varied. No matter what way we express our stresses, I believe it is vital for them to be present in our lives, or else we run the risk of becoming emotionally unbalanced.
There is a ton of research on the web about the benefits that stress can have. According to an article on news.health.com, a little stress can not only give you motivation to improve yourself, but it can also make you more resilient and even boost your brainpower. The key phrase here is “a little.” Too much of anything can be detrimental, and stress is no exception. It’s all about the ways in which we choose to handle stress that not only show character, but emotional intelligence.
And as the last few weeks of the semester are reeling in, the amount of stress that the student body is giving off is swelling. One look at the faces in the library and it isn’t hard to tell that my peers are feeling the pressure of term papers, group projects, and most of all, finals. Thankfully, West Chester does offer options for us all to relax and take our minds off the things that drive us crazy (for a little while at least).
Stress is something that, for most of us, is unavoidable. And that’s not necessarily bad either. The positives that (the right amount of) stress can have are surprisingly just that: positive. So as this semester winds down to a close, don’t beat yourself up for getting strained. Like most things in life, we have to learn to take stress with a grain of salt and brush it off our shoulders. Till next time guys, so it goes.
Rachel Alfiero is a second-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at RA806657@wcupa.edu.