#defeatit

Fellow IBDP students:

I know you have a lot on your mind, but this is the last week of the semester! You might have accumulated stress over the semester (and especially over these past couple weeks) so I’m going to show you what might have caused it, and -hopefully- how you can relieve it.

                                                     Causes

Every feeling of stress is caused by an external stimulus which we can call a stressor. Every stressor, even though you might not consciously perceive them as such, are characterized by your nervous system as a threat or challenge. Whether the stressor be an FOA, family hassles, or an important soccer match, your body will react the same way. Evolutionarily, stress has been the body’s way of prepping for a life or death situation, but nowadays, our stress is almost always unused and negative. Stress also depends on cognition. How we appraise a situation determines how much stress is taken away from it, so it is an extrinsic property. The physical causes of stress are in the hands of the sympathetic division of the nervous system, raising your heart rate and breathing rate among other things. But that’s beside the point. There are things you can do in general you can do to lower stress levels, no matter the causes.

                                              How to relieve it

1. Exercise

Go to the gym, take a run, or do whatever you do. It will help take your mind off whatever is stressing you, not to mention your body.

2. Self talk/optimism

Based on psychologist Martin Seligman’s work- A lot of it is in your mind. If you can get your mind in the right place, you can conquer the stress!

3. Break it down

Another cognitive approach: whatever is causing you stress, chop it into little pieces. It is easier to reach a goal when it is well defined and short!

4. Include something joyful in each day

Although it may seem insignificant to you, one it is like the apple-a-day phenomenon- one instance of joy (your brain’s release of dopamine and/or endorphins) may make the difference between a day laden with stress and a relatively carefree one!

5. Commit to an activity

Another strategy based on psychological study: Part of Maddi’s Hardiness Training offers that deep involvement in activity or club can reduce stress. That might lean on our nature as humans of being pack animals, not unlike wolves.

You know just recently I ponder that question- Basically at random- what would be the last thing you’d do if it were your last day on earth?…

Many answers would come to mind:

-party hard -take a road trip -Vegas -hook up with someone, bang it out and all -down a tub of your favorite ice cream -down your favorite food in bulk -Vegas -punch someone in the face -video game it all out -gta a fuckin’ tesla -Vegas -Arizona -poop on a sidewalk 👀 -hang glide, skydive, in the pool and take a dive -create a music hit and have that shit go on the radio because it’ll be better then the crap that’s on right now -volunteer -Vegas -Reno -take a proper nap And so on…

As many of the people and family know, I exercise a lot, may it be running, yoga or weight lifting, and it a daily routine I do everyday of every week. It makes me feel good and relieve stress. And feeling swole feels so good… Feel the burn baby 🔥💪🏼

Exercise and an active lifestyle has been in me since I was 11-12 years old. And throughout those years it’s been constant. Running, lifting the weights and body weight too. But it’s also been a bothersome.

I’ve told many of my friends I like to workout and exercise. But I’ve done it too much. There’s a word to this addiction of exercising, sorry I just don’t know it right. That addiction is what I have.

I constantly workout and lift and run. Not knowing that I must take it easy and take those breaks or rest days. And yet, I don’t. And on top of that, I always see myself not in the best shape because I know I haven’t pushed my body to look better. And in fact, my body is great and in shape. I hate that mind set and it sucks.

As time passed though, I have told myself I have a problem with that interaction, and now I’m better. I look great in any shape and weight I am.

So “mind”, we may fight about “oh I look fat with this pudge” or “skinny with these bony wrist and knees”, I don’t care, I feel fit and great.

… Expressing too much yea, but it all comes to this.

My last thing I would do on this earth is workout. Run that last 10k, half, and full Do that last session of P90X Last 100 pushups, sit-ups, up downs Finish those last yoga poses Last breathing exercises Lift those last sets and reps of 25-30-35lb dumbbells Last excruciating lunges and squats …

That would be the last of the last. And yet, all those exercises together with my family and friends would make it… More so with my family though.

That would make me a happy man, till the last rep.