What's stress? Haven't heard of it.

It was all a haze. A clouded mind, with nothing but stress, pessimistic thoughts, stress, discontent and more stress. But not until recently did the fog evaporate and I started to see clear. The past year has been one of my most productive years. Whether it was my intellectual life, my health and fitness, emotional life or spiritual life, I was able to regain control and give everything I pursued my 100%.

What is this stress I speak of?

Stress is a psycho-social state of mental and/or emotional strain which can have adverse effects on our body, mind and soul. Well-balanced/controlled stress is beneficial to our fight-or-flight response, but overwhelming stress due to work, relationships, social environment, and other factors can be detrimental to our well-being.

One of my greatest stressors is my academic life. From attaining and maintaining a pleasing GPA; finishing my assignments on time; prepping for midterms and exams; participating in student clubs; building positive and healthy relationships; and the list goes on, and on, and on. A lot of the activities I wished to partake in were ignored and all that was left - that I cared for - was my position in this higher institution.

To over overcome these barriers, I took a step back. Inhaled. Exhaled. And re-evaluated my purpose: why I was doing, what I was doing. After making a list of my hobbies, my interests, my values, I started to connect my academics to my list in order to find the commonalities. By understanding how my majors played a role in my life through acknowledging the commonalities, I was motivated to become more active and optimistic of how my future will be.

Example.

But Mobeen, how do you do it all at once? Isn’t it more STRESSFUL?

Well, here’s my easy answer. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. In the process of clearing the haze, I took multiple steps. Of those steps, I’ve made a short list to share what I did in order to maintain a balance between my academic life and my passions. But mostly, to become stress-less and appreciate every minute.

Mobeen’s stress-less, institution loving guide to success:

Step 1. Keep yourself busy and involved:

When you keep yourself busy, you tend to prioritize on things which really matter. Being busy forces you to use the time that you have and invest it all in doing assignments and studying.

1. Community: Care for your community? Join forces with your local community resource center.

2. School: Join and be a part of clubs, departmental organizations, research opportunities or find an on-campus job!

3. Extracurricular: Do you enjoy sports? Take out 1-2 hours from your 12-hour day in partaking in open-gyms and/or join dance, Zumba or yoga classes (good for your mental and physical health)!

Step 2. Become clutter free:

Let-go of things (materialistic possessions) that don’t hold value in your life. If there’s human distraction keeping you from partaking in activities you are passionate in doing, let them know. If they’re still in your way, it’s time to let-go.

Greatest tip I was given:

“Be with those who bring the best of you, not the stress in you.”

Step 3. STAY WOKE, literally:

Change up your sleeping schedule in order to receive rest and a fresh mind. I tend to be the most productive in the A.M. so I make sure I sleep early in the P.M.

Step 4. Don’t overwork yourself, keep and maintain a schedule:

It’s not only about keeping busy, it’s about maintaining a schedule which matches the time slots on your agenda. If you feel overwhelmed, remove or add events and give yourself time to breathe.

Step 5. Focus on yourself, and yourself only:

In a fast-paced competitive world, take time to reflect on where you stand and where your values lie. Remember, life isn’t a race, there’s no winner. Slow down, enjoy the journey, learn things which will help you grow and allow you to give back to the World.

These are some things I’ve done to create an environment where I can grow and succeed, but you work best through what you know about yourself. Some of my steps may not fit in your list, but some might. Challenge yourself in becoming stress free by acknowledging the various factors which contribute to your life and how you can eliminate them.

With the beginning of another calendar year, I can proudly say that I’ve gotten to indulge in my passions much more, while concentrating in my academic life! If you have any tips for me, in what you’ve done to enhance your learning experience, comment below! If you feel that my list has given you value, please do share.