Riptides of Stress

 Life is like a river ride. Sometimes it passes us by quickly, other times it passes peacefully and can let us enjoy the good in life, but other times it hits the rapids and can pull us under. The world as a whole has gone through a tough rapid that has pulled many of us under and still has a grasp on others. As people work their way to get out of this riptide, new ways of thinking need to be prepared to deal with all the things that come with finding a way onto the next section of the river.

This rapid was a pandemic. It hit hard and fast. In years to come, people will look back at the pandemic and wonder how we made it through or wonder why it happened. We are dealing with the backlash of it now and all the pain and confusion it brings. Things have changed; we now can work from home and online schooling has expanded and many other social structures have changed. During times of change, it is normal for stress to come, and it is a natural response to change. Overcoming stress is necessary to get out of the rapids and find how to adapt to the change that it brings.

Stress is a natural thing that our body does. We feel stressed, and it helps us to do more or try to find ways to change our daily lives. On the other hand, stress also makes us feel we only have opinions, to either push through it or deal with it on our own without help. These are ways that you can deal with some stress, but stress doesn't always just go away. When one is stressed it triggers the body's defenses, which is why when one is stressed they become agitated or angry. If we don't deal with these emotions or find ways to unwind, then the stress will build up and can be harmful to us. I will talk about a few things that have helped me deal with stress.

The first thing that I have seen that has helped me deal with stress is to find someone to talk to. We are social people. We text, add friends, and tweet all that we love to share with others. These things are OK outlets, but we don't always put everything that is going on in these messages. Talking to someone face to face, having a genuine conversation about what is going on in your life, and always letting you know there is someone else out there that knows you. When we feel alone in the world is when we begin to feel hope less and stress can hurt us. So find a friend to talk to.

The next thing is simply to spend time with family. We have our defenses and maybe family is what causes much stress, but when you see the smiles of loved ones you can't help to not smile either. Many people believe that families can make that much happen, but a study during the pandemic as it was put by; "Brad Wilcox" and "Wendy Wang" "evident in a new YouGov survey, conducted this summer by the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institution. The survey shows that in the wake of COVID-19, childless Americans are now more likely to report their lives are lonely and less likely to report they are meaningful and happy. A clear majority of men and women (nearly 60%) ages 18-55 who do not have kids say they are lonely some, most, or all of the time." Just spending time with people we know changes how we feel.

Lastly, just find a new thing to do. When one is stressed, one can get fixated on the problem, and it takes over everything else. So one of the ways to deal with that is to find something else to do, take a break or pick up one of your hobbies. Finding a way to see more of the world around you the easier it may become to find a solution to your issue.

Stress can be helpful, but we need to not let it control our life. When one grabs hold of stress and uses it as a tool, then one will be able to accomplish more in their life. When we find trustworthy people to talk to or spend time with loved ones or just get out into this amazing world, we will find that stress may be forgotten.