Ch. 3 – Stress

Chapter 3 highlighted the many aspects of stress. We are a generally over-stressed society, and college students are at an exponentially higher rate of experiencing stress than any other age group. One thing from the chapter that immediately stuck out to me was the sleep problems that can arise from stress. “Sleep is much more important than people realize. Sleep conserves body energy and restores you physically and mentally” (Donatelle, 2019, p. 56). Sleep is something that has always seemed to be more difficult for me. I often have a hard time falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Despite almost always feeling rested regardless of the length of my sleep, I know that the lack of sleep is detrimental to my body and my health. As recommended in the book, I often find myself setting a sleep schedule where I try to go to bed at roughly the same hour every night in an attempt to get my body and mind used to this being the time I fall asleep. Although it does not always work, it is a good way to get myself into the habit of sleeping consistently and through the night. Another issue that I have with sleep is the use of technology. I carry my stress throughout the day and into the night, and I have often found watching videos or listening to music calms me down. However, the use of technology to do so is a negative so close to sleep.

Another topic that caught my attention in the chapter was the management of stressors and the stress that we carry throughout life. I find myself to be above average when it comes to showing emotion. I have never been afraid to show my emotions and, although rare that I do cry, have cried in front of friends and family without shame or regret before. This plays directly into the idea of laughing and crying as a stress reliever. “Smiling, laughing, and even crying can elevate mood, relieve stress, and improve relationships” (Donatelle, 2019, p. 64). Emotions are our best way of communicating our feelings, and I feel that this is a great way to relieve ourselves of our stresses. Our emotions can communicate that we need help or attention, even when we can not. With the right support from our family and friends, these emotions can lead to raised endorphins and lowered stress through the attention and care of those around us.

This week was another difficult one. Sleep was a burden on my days, as I felt unusually tired after multiple days with a lack of sleep. This became days where I did not have the energy to run and even some days where I was so tired that I needed to take a nap after class. My work piled up and left me little to no time to run almost every day, on top of my friend being in the same sleep-deprived boat. Despite this, I did see some improvements in my cardiovascular health. Luckily, one of my classes requires cardiovascular work every Monday and Wednesday, so I am able to both put in work during these classes as well as see the progress (or lack thereof) that I have made. This week, I was able to ride the stationary bike for the longest amount of time to date (in the class) while also maintaining the same pace and being less fatigued at the end. My stress levels were definitely tested this week, but I was able to manage them through the support of my friend as well as pushing through to create the progress I needed.