Stress

'Twas the night before RA training and all through the halls Area Directors scrambled to make sure things were ready for their staff for the fall....

In case you have been in the dark for the past few weeks, I have a job now. I accepted a position as an Area Director at Capital University. To say I'm loving it would be an understatement :)

But it's August....and in the student affairs world...this means a whole lot of stress...some necessary, some not. But I figured it makes a good topic for today's blog....because I'm going to try to keep blogging (and hopefully vloging) during August.

But I'm not doing BEDA or VEDA. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Stress is a way of letting us know that something matters to us. For those of us who like to do the best we can in everything we do, this can cause a lot of stress. But luckily having survived grad school has given me some excellent stress coping strategies. Now I will say while these work for me, they might not work for you....and that's okay!

1. Write. Blogging right now is helping me to relax before I dive back into my work. It helps to get things out...I won't forget things if I write them down. I make lists, write reminders...and sometimes just write until I have nothing left to write. It seriously helps more than you'd think it would.

2. Music. Whether this is playing music or listening to it, it helps to sooth my mind and keep my thoughts from racing. I've found that Mumford and Sons has been a good band for me to close my eyes and listen to. Avoid songs that will be a trigger for you. We all have our songs that either meant something at one point, were a song that got us through something, or make us think of past events we'd rather not think about. For example, Josh Groban's "To Where You Are" will always make me think of my Mom and I end up crying.

3. Get away from things. Having "me time" is the best thing I can do when I'm stressed out.

4. Have someone you can talk to. I have friends I know will answer their phones or let me come over (if I'm close enough) and this gives me the support I know I need.

5. Celebrate the small things. If I find myself focusing on everything that needs done I will focus on what I did get done...even if it's just getting out of bed, showering, and getting ready for the day.

And now I feel much calmer. Writing helps so very much.

And now back to my regularly scheduled insanity that is August in residence life.

But you know what? I'm loving every single second and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so excited to be actively working in a field that I truly love.