Stress has been my companion for as long as I can remember. I’m the kind of girl who likes having a million things to do because I love feeling productive. Unfortunately, I tend to take on more than I can handle. This leads to late nights, early mornings, constant worrying, tiredness, and, well…you know the routine.

So in an effort to stop overworking myself (you should really see my jam-packed planner) and to help my fellow busy bees (high five!) de-stress, here are a few reasons why we should take a breather and stop stressing out!

There are 50 Stress-Related Effects – none of which are attractive

The American Institute of Stress lists them here. Some of them are more common (headaches, impulse buying) while others are a bit extreme (ringing, buzzing or popping sounds). Wow, makes me want to call in sick…

Allow me to be more specific…

Ever look into a mirror during finals week and be shocked to see how unnaturally pale you are? Blame it on the stress! When you are stressed, your body responds by directing your blood flow to the heart, brain, and lungs since they are the most critical functions. Your skin does not get as much blood as when you are well rested, making you lose those rosy cheeks. Translation: you look like a zombie. Read More »

Pulling all-nighters, running on coffee and 5-hour-energy shots, and making the library your new permanent residence? College is already hard enough! Then, at the end of every semester, we have to deal with EXAMS.

And, of course, studies show that women are at a higher risk for stress-induced eating and consequent weight gain. Blame it on cortisol – probably the suckiest hormone I’ve ever heard of. It’s a stress-related hormone that’s linked to weight gain (especially in your abs!). Cortisol also makes your metabolism slow down and increases your appetite. It ALSO leads to a tendency to consume high-fat foods. Ugh.

There are ways to avoid weight gain and unhealthy habits even when you’re scrambling to finish that paper at 4am the night before. What does a girl gotta do to stay healthy and avoid gaining weight during these super stressful times?

Build a support system.
Friends and family are there for you – feel free to vent! Unloading your stress and frustrations will keep you focused… and prevent you from stress-eating.

Snack smart.
Avoid sugar and caffeine. They’ll seem like a good choice… until you crash a few hours later! And when you’re making your 2am food run, keep healthy snacks closest (front of the cabinets and fridge) so that’s the first thing you see and grab. If you have time to cook, put food away right after you make it so you’re not mindlessly eating seconds and thirds while studying. Also, no matter what hours you keep during exam week, try to keep your eating schedule as close to normal as possible. Eating when you should be sleeping increase your chances of gaining weight. Read More »

Any shared activity among a couple is likely to bring that couple closer together. Hobbies such as painting, gardening, cooking a meal together, or taking a weekly jog together could all romantically benefit relationships. This rule idea applies to couples both in and out of the bedroom where, ironically enough, sadomasochistic (S&M) type of activities are shown to promote bonding.

The New Scientist is reporting that S&M (including spanking, bondage, and flogging), although stressful at first, could bring couples closer together.

In a study, researchers at Northern Illinois University measured the stress hormone cortisol in 13 men and women at an S&M party. “During S&M scenes, cortisol rose significantly in those receiving stimulation, but dropped back to normal within 40 minutes if the scene went well”. At another event, testosterone was measured in 45 men and women and reportedly “increased significantly in receiving women only”. This fluctuation in hormones is understood to help women cope with the stressful nature of the activities.

In both studies, hormone levels returned to normal in couples who enjoyed the experience. The couples who reported the party as a success also “reported an increases in relationship closeness”. These new findings show that “when sexual intercourse is consensual it is not stressful – even if it is extreme sex”.

Not ready for nipple clamps, whips and chains? Don’t worry about it, an activity as simple as cleaning the apartment together could promote closeness withing a couple. Then again, nothing brings a couple closer together than a pair of handcuffs.

I guess I’ve always been a really impatient person. I can invest time and effort into things, don’t get me wrong, but I always need to see some kind of yield, and I usually need to see it fast. I do it when I’m writing papers (I don’t double space until I’m on the third page so that I feel better about how far I’ve come), I do it when I’m cleaning (I only clean one portion of my room at a time), and I’m pretty sure there are other things that I can’t even think of. So I guess it goes without saying that the fact that I am not losing any weight is really, really bothering me.

Surprisingly, I stumbled across an answer to my frustrated question from a surprising source. Alright, it may not be all that surprising, but I always distanced myself from Redbook; it just bothers me on principle. But they have a surprisingly poignant article that gave me a bit of insight as to why I haven’t lost at least HALF a pound. Here are half a dozen reasons you might not be, either. Read More »