Ok guys, I'm currently experiencing more stress than ever before. I'm truly a type-b personality, so this is somewhat alien to me. Usually I just don't think about things too much and I plod along, getting them done one at a time. This term, I have been asked to multi-task as never before. Five classes; three of them art (yes, I know, art! Which just means more WORK). I've also finally decided to apply for my masters in teaching (MAT), which at my university is reputed to be a fairly competitive program. The deadline for application is February 15; before then I have to take two standardized tests (CBEST and Praxis II) and put in 30 hours of volunteering with youth. At this point I may or may not need to take either the GRE or the Miller Analogies Test, either way it would probably be a good idea (my GPA isn't wonderful - just a little over a 3.0, and that's IF we're talking overall, including my transfer credits). I'm starting to think the whole attempt is insane, but I've succeeded fairly well in poorly-thought-out missions of insanity before. I really want to be a teacher, more than anything.

So, besides simply venting to people I know will understand, I do actually have a question. How do you guys deal with stress? I've done everything I know - made my plans (in writing), eat right, exercise, meditate and pray. What helps you?

eating healthy, small meals throughout the day, drinking lots of water, keeping my house clean, and getting lots of sleep help me deal w/stress. Excercise has a short term effect, but wears off without also doing some of the other things...

Similarly, I exercise, clean, get plenty of sleep, eat, cook, read, take a break from work, breath deeply, daydream about a sexy hunk...



Good luck with everything! Talk about accomplishments...

Does stress ever cause you to want to eat more? Do you think that stress increases your caloric needs or is this just an emotional response? I haven't increased my intake, been fighting off the urges.

I eat everything when I am stressed. Not good, especially since I have heard that your metabolism slows down during stressfull times (apparently during a "fight" of "flight" your body doesn't digest food because it wastes energy and blood resources).



I know it's bad to associate food with feeling better, but sometimes it DOES make you feel better. I try to eat one of my favorite healthy meals. That way I still feel happy I am eating something I love, but I also keep with balanced nutrition. I think excessive binges just make you feel worse.



Instead of binging, try some of these things:



taking a walk

take a nap

playing with a companion animal - if you have one- (when my Dr. told me my health problems were just stress, he told me to get a dog, luckily I have one! He prescribed playing with her more - he said it really helps reduce stress.)

watching a favorite movie

talking to a good friend

reading a great book

working on the hobby of your choice

taking a bath/shower and just relaxing

I have a minor breakdown, cry up a storm, and then after that I'm calm and take things one step at a time. Usually what happens is the enormity of everything facing me, the big picture, overwhelms me. And then once I've dealt with that feeling by going to pieces and letting out a lot of my fear I can focus on the steps needed to finish the big picture.



Look at managing your time. Don't stress if you fall behind schedule, but be realistic in setting the schedule so it is possible to finish things in the timeline you've given yourself. Give yourself a buffer zone too in case you do fall behind. It feels GREAT when you know exactly what you have to do and you can cross things off, because that's one less thing to worry about.

yikes! i feel ya...i have a nice plate of stress on my plate right now (not wquite as much as you though).



really, working out is key for me.



and if you have access to it - a punching bag is heaven sent.

You aren't happening to be applying to Willimette are you? I applied there for this school year and those sound like the same exact requirements, although I know many schools have the same.



All I can say is don't sweat the CBEST. You'll do fine. The second test is the harder one. If you only study for the second one, you should pass the CBEST with flying colors.



Good luck!