December 8, 2009
Day #2 – Stress and Exercise
It is time for day #2 of the Breaking out of the Muggle Mindset series on stress. My name is Elizabeth and I keep up with different website statistics for the HPA and am also the Gryffindor house prefect! I hope that my way of dealing with stress will help you in some way throughout the next few weeks!
Stress is something that everyone deals with. I sometimes think that stress is something that I will never be able to escape from. I go from class to class everyday as well as participating in many different groups and organizations around campus. During my few free hours of the day, I lock myself away in the library and attempt to get all of my work and studying done. Going non-stop all day everyday gets tiring and of course stressful. My friends tell me that I go into phases of “going under my invisibility cloak” and disappearing to study or get other work done. When I decide to come out of hiding it is usually because I have become so tired and stressed out that all I have left to do is be in a bad mood and “snap”. I call this my mental breaking point.
A couple weeks ago when I began to study for my finals I realized that making it to that mental breakdown was not worth it. I know I am smart and I don’t need anyone telling me that in order to remain smart I have to study until my brain falls apart. I began to think about something that I enjoyed doing that would allow me to not think about school or anything else that I had to do. My answer came to me quickly, Exercise.
Exercising is a great way for me to escape from the realities of life and to just break away for a while. Harry uses this same method. When Harry flies on his broom or even when he took his first flight on Buckbeak he had the sensation of being free and not having any worries. When I go running I feel the same way. Running is something that I can do all by myself without my books, my computer, or any other possible distractions. For those thirty minutes a day that I can go run, I am free and have nothing to worry about. During my run I have time to think about anything I want. I try to use it as a time to clear my head so that when it is time to return to the things I need to get done, I am fully focused and ready.
Running is not the only form of exercise that helps me de-stress. Sometimes I go for a walk or even take different exercise classes. Physical activity in general helps your blood flow which in turn makes your brain work. Sometimes if I get really stressed, I step away from whatever I am doing and go for a quick run. When I come back, my head is clear and my brain is ready to work again.
I know that sometimes when you are stressed it is easier to think that continuously working is going to help you in the long run, but sometimes it is important to realize that taking a step back and going and doing something else for a while is a solution that could help you more.
Max C
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My dad is a psychologist and one thing he told me — which I find fascinating — is that the first thing he recommends for people who find themselves stressed or depressed is exercise.
Not a support group, not pills, just exercise. Because exercise is proven to release endorphins that are guaranteed to help with relaxation and calm.
Vanessa
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Ahhh,I’m about the least physical person on the planet! When I was very young, I got pneumonia several times, then mononucleosis, and now adrenal fatigue syndrome. All of those things leave me with limited energy and lung capacity. I’ve never been great at exercise, but lately I barely do it at all.
Also, I live in the middle of the woods, which doesn’t exactly make it convenient for me to do a lot of running, as the roads in my minuscule town don’t even have sidewalks.
As you can see, I’m full of excuses!
I should really try this, and I think I’m going to make a little time later on today to try this out, you have inspired me to at least try for a brisk walk, if not a run.
Thanks for a great blog!
Karen
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I also have a hard time exercising, especially when I’m stressed. Something I’ve found to be good physical activity is just to stretch and let my body loosen up.
Great blog, Elizabeth!
Rose Brazeale
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Exercise works to relieve stress because it releases the built-up tension that’s caused by stress and anxieties. But I’ve been having a hard time finding time to really exercise because of school work. And now it’s too cold out to really do any real exercising without freezing my hands off. Any suggestions?
Marie
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Ugh! I’m not big on exercise… too many terrible gym class experiences… But I really want to try this. I can’t really go running outside right now – it’s Juneau, AK, and the streets are covered in ice – but maybe I’ll run around my house for a while, see how freaked out my cat gets… hmm.