Learning to Bend Without Breaking

When you really think about it, almost everything we do in life comes with some form of stress. Maybe the only time this is not the case was during childhood, when our parents carried most of the burden for us. Of course, some people had it tough and had to start working early. But for others like me, I depended on my parents for almost everything. They were the ones doing all the stressing while I enjoyed the comfort. Things changed, though, when I entered the university. That was when I started to understand what stress feels like. The system was hot and confusing. It was always from one class to another and then the cycle continued over and over again. Some days, I would get back from school, jump on the bed and sleep till the next day. It was even worse during exams. I pulled off all-nighters and barely had time for myself. Many times, the stress piled up and fought back.

This brings me to today’s Hive Learners’ prompt: AVOIDING STRESS. Is it possible to avoid stress? If we choose to avoid anything that would stress us, are we going to get anything done? Everyone wants a sweet and soft life. It is so easy to wake up in the morning and not have to worry about getting things done. It is so easy to lie on your bed, binge-watch your favorite TV shows and eat good food. However, the truth is that almost everything worth doing comes with some form of stress. If you are a student, you will have to go to school for classes, do assignments and prepare for tests and presentations. During exams, you will have to read like your life depends on it. These things cause stress.

And when you graduate from school and get a job in the outside world, that is another level of stress. You will leave academic stress into another form of stress on its own. I feel sad for people who work in Lagos. I have heard many stories about that place. Lagos is the most populated state in Nigeria and interestingly, that is where big things happen. People who work in Lagos have to wake up very early and go to work so they can beat the traffic. I have a friend who wakes up by 4am everyday to prepare for work. He does this every single day of the week except Sundays. Somehow, stress also finds its way into online jobs. Recently, I got an online Job and from time to time, the stress involved in it weighs me down.

In my opinion, stress is not something we can completely avoid. We can’t keep rejecting offers or not wanting to do something just because it is going to stress us. That’s not how to go about life. However, we can try to control stress and how it affects us. One of the ways to do this is to fully utilize our free time. This is something I am learning how to do. I work every day of the week, but on some days when there is no work, I seize that opportunity to sleep well and relax. If your job drains or overwhelms you, make sure to take advantage of any free time you get even if it’s just a week off to rest and enjoy yourself.

Remember that we cannot completely avoid stress, we can only control it.

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Thanks for reading.