The Arrival Guide

It’s true. And it’s inevitable for some of us. A lot of people pay for school, but let’s face it, for some reason just haven’t saved up enough money on their own to write a check to the university that covers the cost of their education. Shocking, right? Anyway, the point is, a lot of people have jobs in college and still have to deal with that whole school thing, too. Then there are those people who, again, for whatever reason, didn’t get that $250,000 salary straight out of school and have to work more than one job. Then there are those who aren’t in school and earning a salary that is adequate, but they are married and supporting a family. Whatever your situation may be, at some point, you could get blindsided by stress.

Some of the best ways to deal with stress are very simple. Probably the simplest and one of the best is to listen to your favorite music. It’s one of those things that literally every stress relieving website has towards the top of their list. So, turn on your iPod, or Zune, or whatever else copied Steve Jobs’ technology, and calm down for a bit. If you want a suggestion, go with the Zac Brown Band. That’s what I use. Or, if I’m not smiling like an idiot listening to some “Chicken Fried,” I like to sit down with my guitar and play. That really helps take my mind off of what is seemingly crashing down around me, and it helps keep me focused and more productive whenever I get back to the task. If you play an instrument, any instrument, guitar, piano, didgeridoo or GarageBand, I suggest taking it out and playing around for a bit.

I apologize in advance for the unpopularity of my next suggestion which is: go for a run. I realize that this is America, and that we love McDonald’s, but I’ve found that going out for a quick run is a great way to clear your head. Even if it’s just the equivalent of one lap around the track (400 meters for you who are wondering), it could be enough to make you feel better and to get your mind back on track, pun intended, thank you.

When you’re bombarded with a million things to do, and can’t seem to find enough hours in the day to get it all done, what is the last thing that it seems that you should do? Rest. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s a good technique to get stuff done. What it has in common with my other fool-proof ways to relieve your stress is that it will help clear your mind and get you back on the right path. Whether you want to savor closing your eyes for an hour, or want to see what Jack Bauer is doing on Netflix for one episode of 24, some simple downtime could help you out, as well.

Stress is a terrible, terrible thing, and it affects all of us at some point. Find what works best for you to get over it and back to being productive.

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