{"id":4963,"date":"2020-09-25T09:15:10","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T13:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/?p=4963"},"modified":"2020-09-25T00:45:34","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T04:45:34","slug":"cam-what-to-do-when-stress-ramps-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/2020\/09\/25\/cam-what-to-do-when-stress-ramps-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Cam: What to do When Stress Ramps Up"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/comblog\/files\/2020\/09\/blog_photo-1024x785.jpg\" alt=\"blog_photo\" width=\"660\" height=\"506\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2020\/09\/blog_photo-1024x785.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2020\/09\/blog_photo-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2020\/09\/blog_photo-768x589.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I can be a pretty stressed-out person. I worry about a lot of things that out of my control, in my control, or even things that don\u2019t really make a ton of logical sense (for example, the tree outside my window that I\u2019m nervous will fall on me).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And sometimes, these stressors get to be a lot. Especially now, when the entire world is stressed out. It\u2019s hard to get away from it. Despite this, I still find ways to push through my own mental blockers and find a way to cope with everything. Of course, I know I\u2019m not alone in this. As COM students, we\u2019re way too familiar with projects piling up at seemingly the worst times. So, I\u2019ve compiled some of my favorite ways to get ahead of the anxiety \u2013 even in a pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Go on a photo walk<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I\u2019m a firm believer that few things clear the mind like getting outside and soaking up some vitamin D. So, why not go on a photo walk? It combines creativity with exercise, and it can be done socially distanced with a trusted friend (we love some fresh, moving air). And, with so many photo editing apps to choose from, you\u2019ll have a collection of beautiful photos to post to the Gram in no time. If you\u2019re looking for even more of a change, consider picking up a disposable film camera at a drug or convenience store nearby. You might have to wait a few days for the pictures to get back, but trust me, it\u2019s worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Write in a journal<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, this is a popular one. Most stress-relief articles mention this at least once, but for good reason. Writing down what is stressing you out, making a to-do list, or even just venting to no one can help your mind categorize what\u2019s getting to you. After you\u2019re done, you can tear up the page, stomp on it, keep it to read later, or put it through the garbage disposal (I don\u2019t suggest that one, but you do you). Anything that helps you crush those thoughts in a tangible way can work wonders. Or, if writing down negative thoughts isn\u2019t your style, try writing down 5 things a day that you\u2019re thankful for, proud of, excited about. You\u2019ll be surprised how easy it is to exceed 5.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get some R&amp;R<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Personally, taking naps isn\u2019t the best way for me to deal with anxiety. It usually puts a band-aid on the problem rather than actually help my mind. Instead, I make sure I use my downtime to really <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">slow down<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and stop my constant movement. Sometimes this means a nice, long shower with some music in the background. Other times, it\u2019s calling my mom or my best friend and sitting on my bed with some great conversation. I\u2019ll play the piano, read a book, make a bracelet, anything that really grounds me. Additionally, I try to stay away from screens during this time. I usually fall back into bad-news Twitter if I have my phone around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the world seems like too much, more often than not it really isn\u2019t. Being stressed and having anxious days is something everyone deals with, and everyone deals with it differently. Take some time to slow down, be creative, and calm those thoughts \u2013 they have no chance against you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I can be a pretty stressed-out person. I worry about a lot of things that out of my control, in my control, or even things that don\u2019t really make a ton of logical sense (for example, the tree outside my window that I\u2019m nervous will &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/2020\/09\/25\/cam-what-to-do-when-stress-ramps-up\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Cam: What to do When Stress Ramps Up<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2018,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[44591],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4963"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4963"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4965,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4963\/revisions\/4965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}