The strategy “A Day At A Time” was the most effective and helpful for me. In order to complete this strategy you need to make a list of five things you need to do the next day before you go to sleep. This was very effective for me because I am a linear and visual learner so to see everything I needed to do laid out was very visually appealing to me. It also showed me exactly what I wanted to and needed to accomplish the next day. I did it on my laptop that way every time I opened my computer, my list of tasks would be there reminding me of what I needed to do.
I created this list on Tuesday evening and actually had seven items I needed to complete. In order to complete my tasks I thought about my schedule for the next two days and decided what I needed to do by when. My CLS blog is due Friday but I have about a three and a half hour car ride home Thursday were I was able to work on it. Also I had to read Black Dog Of Fate by the time I got back from break. I only have fifty pages left and if I read 25 pages Friday and 25 pages Saturday I will be done with it before most of my friends come home. Since two of my tasks could be help off for a few days I focused on the rest. The first thing I did the next day was go to CVS and get ink for my printer which I would need to print my philosophy paper. My paper was due on Thursday so after I bought the ink I went to Whitman and finished my essay before CLS. It was a great use of my time and since I was in Whitman, it was quiet and I was able to focus. After class I met with Wendy then stayed in the building and completed my project proposal. Being in a new environment allowed me to work and I was able to gradually delete items off of my to-do list. The most annoying task was my philosophy 107 questions. Yet once I was back at my dorm that night and my list was significantly smaller, I had the motivation to do them.
I then was able to lay in bed and studied for math. Since I had a clean and clear list, I completed my tasks easily and realized everything wasn’t due the next day and that I could stop and relax.
The next strategy I used was the stress diagram. The stress diagram is used to show what the major stresses are in your life. Currently, my major stresses are philosophy 107, MAT 285, and my body and organization. I can say those three topics cause the most stress in my life.
These two classes are my primary concern because they are the only two classes I have finals in. Since finals are only three weeks away they are causing me stress. Staying organized and staying healthy is also a large concern because as I spend more time studying, I have less time to clean my room, do my laundry, and go to the gym. I adapted this to fewer categories. The strategy says to use five but since I am a linear and visual learner, seeing more topics would cause more stress. What I do to help reduce this stress is the Five-Minute Escape. This strategy is supposed to relieve stress in a short amount of time. What you do is:
1. Close your eyes
2. Take five slow, deep breaths
3. Rotate your shoulders in a circular motion, first backward five times, then forward five times
4. Massage your temples in a circular motion with your fingers for 30 seconds. Massage your jaw, concentrating on the hinges. Force yourself to unclench your jaw.
5. Slowly drop your chin onto your chest five times. Move your right ear to your right shoulder five times. Then switch the side, trying to touch your left ear to your left shoulder five times. Finally, move your chin to the left and touch your left shoulder. Switch to the right. Go back and forth five times.
6. Cross your arms in front of you and reach around to your shoulders. Using your thumbs and index fingers, knead your trapezius muscle (the one that runs along the top of your back) for about 30 seconds.
7. Take five slow, deep breaths
8. Open your eyes.
I used this technique for my philosophy 107 paper. This not only ties together all the strategies but it really helped me. The paper was on my checklist and as you can see by the stress diagram, it is something that is constantly on my mind and causing me anxiety. When I opened the email from my professor in Whitman, I did become stressed. As a result I start there for two minutes doing this technique and breathing. In addition I took a sip of water and really did feel refreshed. I was able to complete my paper in record time because I was focused and more relaxed. My allowing my brain to stop for a moment and my thoughts you clear, I was able to focus.
Stress is something everyone has to deal with. By using these three techniques together, stress is easy to overcome in a calm manor. Seeing a clean list of everything you need to do, seeing what causes the most stress, and using a technique to relax, the anxiety will disappear. I am an example of how to over come stress and how to prepare for the future. I will use these three techniques in the future but my favorite is “A Day At A Time.” I like the clean list of what I need to do and feel it is good to use as a reminder for errands and not just work!
Very nice blog post! I used the Five-Minute Technique as well and I found it very effective too. I would recommend trying it in a comfort zone as it makes you more proactive afterwards.
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