“Stress can kill you.” they say. “Stress is bad. No one likes stress.”
The phrases pop into my head as I make my way to class, tugging anxiously at my sweater.
I’ve already picked up a nervous habit in my freshman here at Francis Marion University (FMU).
The day rolls on, and all I can hear is: “Paper due Nov. 18…project due in two weeks…end
of the semester….” The words bounce back in fourth in my skull, impairing my clear vision of a
peaceful afternoon.
I feel overwhelmed. Taking eight classes, gearing up for a double-major, volunteering in the
community everywhere I can. I suppose I brought this on myself.
We tend to think that we can take on more than we can handle, not to show the world our
strong character, but to prove ourselves in the process.
Prove what of ourselves? That we are capable of succeeding? Making a difference? Being a
friend?
You see, I know and many others tend to have the desire to just “do, do and do.” Nothing’s
ever enough. I just can’t find my niche.
At the end of the day, too much on my plate piles into stress. The cycle repeats over and over
and over again.
Stress shouldn’t be a way of life. Stress shouldn’t be something we get “used to.”
You see, there’s this uniqueness in the feeling of being able to “get things done.” It’s like a
temporary feeling of excitement and pride knowing you can get something out of every day if
you put in the time, energy and effort.
Many of us don’t know our breaking points and function on auto-pilot, getting through the
day and living in this sleep-deprived state of existence.
This is not living. This is not existence. It isn’t even breathing.
Everywhere you turn, expectations will always pour in, but you need to know where to draw
the line. You need to know your limits. It’s OK to say no to something you can’t do at the
moment.
Focus on you because you’re what are important. Life becomes stress-free when you
understand that with a little time management, time to yourself, and a little more space, anything
is possible.