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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Stress Detox- Clearing the Mind For Better Focus

Attending Grad school has proven to be extremely stressful for me. If not for the work load, the 3 hour commutes as well. Also, having a learning disability- adult ADD is nothing to take lightly. It is a serious condition that often takes a toll on the way I communicate. I tend to enjoy talking or discussing my view point and may not even realize that I am not allowing others to talk. I tend to take longer on tests or exams or assignments than the average person. I have a tendency to get distracted easily and sometimes, I have organizational problems.

Though under stress, I noticed that the average adult with ADD can take on multiple projects and juggle more than the average person some times. But, in my case I have noticed that the the above are things I have to take into consideration when in a learning environment. In the same way, when we deal with stress we must consider everything that is surrounding our circumstances. There are things that we can change and things that we can not change. 

Say if we have a heavy work load, we can not change the amount of work we have. However, we can figure out a way to cope with all of it much better. If you have a handicap, a learning disability, or other special considerations. It is good to take these things into consideration and figure out a creative way to deal with your specific circumstance. So, I have to allow more time to study. I have to attend study sessions and study groups. I have to pre-plan things way in advance in order to be more organized. 

However, a key component to stress is exercise and time specifically designated for mind clearing. Yes and the time that you do designate ought to involve nature. Being conscious is an important factor to detoxing from stress. When detoxing and clearing the mind. You want to always try to stay away from brain-numbing activities. Brain numbing involves being unconscious: being on the internet, watching movies or tv or playing video games- all activities that make you unconscious and not present. Anything that is going to involve brain numbing is not necessarily a stress detox. 

To really clear the mind, it is necessary to get out and do something that might be adventurous, fun, and most of all- nature related. I tend to enjoy hiking. Running is also good, but I am not really a runner and so I tend to enjoy nature hikes much more. Just recently, I went white water rafting on a level 4 rapid with 10 feet drops, this adventure was amazing. Luckily I didn't fall out of the boat. But, the activity was challenging, adventurous, got the blood flowing and taught me to be present. When white water rafting you have to work with a team of people in a boat, listen to orders to ensure you are all working as a team or your boat can tip over. It is also a lot of fun and a huge natural rush. I couldn't believe how clear my head was after white water rafting.

When you clear your mind, you have to watch out because you may end up remembering all the things you forgot when stressed out. Yes, sometimes stress often causes you to forget important assignments or things in your life you were suppose to do and causes you to get a bit "scatter-brained." For me, stress at Grad school this summer caused me to forget some assignments. Luckily, I hope I can still recover a decent grade and learn for the future to give myself more time to detox. So, before the stress gets to you. Try getting away for a mental retreat, a time to embrace nature and clear your mind so that you can come back to your life refreshed.