Journal #33- Reducing Stress

Dealing with stress is a  very important part of life.  Stress is an everyday thing that every person must learn to deal with and persevere through.  I would like to say that my life is stressful, but in reality it really is not that bad.  The things that I stress over right now include my college search, homework, tests, looking for a job this summer, track, and many other pointless little things.  I have tried a few different methods of relieving my stress.  Sometimes I just try not to think about the things that are stressing me out, but this is not always the best method.  My favorite method is running.  Running is a huge part of my life.  At least five days a week I go out and run a few miles or do a workout on the track.  This time allows me to reflect on my life and the things that are stressing me out.  I can actually think about who I am as a person when I am out in nature just enjoying life.  There is just something about exercise and being outside that nothing can compare to.  After dealing with a day of school and putting up with others who are sometimes hard to put up with, it is a relief to reconnect with myself after school.  Even though this is my favorite method of reconnecting with myself, I also use a few others.  Another method I use includes when I am driving by myself.  I turn off the radio and just think about the day and how I think my life is.  The thing that I always seem to worry about most is the future.  I fear the unknown and dislike change so this is normally the base of my stress.  Being in the car by myself with nothing else to do provides the perfect time to reflect upon my day or my life as a whole.