Alright. My life is really funny because in college, I actually thought I was constantly stressed out. But looking back now…all lies. If I could go back to the consistent life of a college student, I would reclaim it in a little hummingbird heartbeat. Sure, maybe it was stressful to drink on a Thursday and barrel through a quiz the next day. Sure, maybe it was stressful to skip out class on a Tuesday to sun bathe in the quad.

The key word in the past two sentences is: sure. College sure wasn’t stressful at all.

In this real world I’m treading through (or flailing through), stress has been tumbling upon me like a pile of heavy, wet and unapologetic rocks. Because while in college the stress was completely personal, when you get a job – stress leaks onto other people’s plates. Suddenly, you’re no longer only responsible for yourself. You’re responsible for an entire company. Um, HELLO.

My body has been completely tweaking out on me because of the stressful job world. I have zits on my cheeks (I usually only get them in my t-zone), I wake up with night tremors about screwing up and I have been listening to more Enya than usual. While these may be personal problems, I have come up with a system to aid my stressed out tendencies…and I want to share them with you. And trust me; these new stress remedies are way different than college stress remedies. Think tea bags (the kind at the grocery store) instead of beer bongs. Think candles in place of a 14-hour Grey’s Anatomy marathons. Think timeliness practicality. Read More »

[It's a new year (which I am having trouble remembering when I have to write the date on anything), meaning it's the perfect time to wipe that slate clean and start anew. And we're gonna help you out. Every Thursday in January we're bringing you advice from experts on ways to improve yourself and your life. From mental health to making the most of your workspace, we'll all work together to get our lives, health and GPAs back on track. First we feng shui-ed our rooms to make them happier, more productive places; now it's time to overhaul our inner selves with mind/body coach, Sarah Yost.]

Stressors in life are inevitable: deadlines, expectations, the lack of time to do it all. But you don’t have to be at the mercy of those things. The less you stress the better you’ll feel and the more you’ll accomplish. Think about your energy as if you have a finite amount of it every day. If you use a lot of it stressing out about things beyond your control, you’re left without the energy you need to actually do the things that matter to you.

So how does one simply not stress?

Try these six easy tips to calm down and preserve your energy so you can accomplish everything on your plate and all those other things you just want to have time for.

Attend to your breath.
You know how people are always telling you to “just breath”? Well, there’s a reason for it! Full diaphragmatic breaths aren’t going to cut a full fledged panic attack, but they will make a noticeable difference. Full breaths change you physiologically, bringing more oxygen to your blood, slowing the heart rate and soothing the nervous system.

Try this: Inhale through the nose to the count of four, exhale through your mouth to the count of four.  Do that four times. That simple exercise will make a huge difference, and it takes less than a minute and you can do it anywhere with your eyes open. No one needs to know what you’re up to and you don’t need to schedule any extra time in your busy day to find some inner peace. Read More »

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 »

So I don’t know if I’m just PMSing or tired, but I’ve been kind of a moody bitch to my boyfriend lately. We’ll be having a perfectly normal conversation and suddenly we’re arguing about the silliest thing. What’s terrible is that I know what we’re fighting about isn’t important. I mean, just because he would rather spend his Sunday night watching TV instead of going to my friend’s BBQ doesn’t really make it OK for me to get annoyed. He’s being honest and I don’t want to drag him along to something that he’s not in the mood for. Right?

Why can’t I just accept this and move on?

As someone who always likes to do a little investigating to ensure personal growth, I researched ways to control my immature and unwarranted reactions. And what I came across has definitely cleared a few things up.

Number one, regular exercise is essential when it comes to a good mood. Physical activity, whether it involves cardio or strength training, produces those fantastic feel-good neurotransmitters known as endorphins. They boost seratonin levels to improve your mood naturally. Because of a busy and stressful week of late, I made zero time to work out. So this has definitely been a factor in my irritability. Sorry Zach.

Number two, taking 1,200 milligrams of a calcium supplement daily has been proven to reduce PMS symptoms by 48%. Um, yea. I definitely haven’t been doing that. Read More »