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Stress returns, but we must not let it blind us

By Daily Bruin Staff

Oct. 27, 1994 9:00 p.m.

Stress returns, but we must not let it blind us

Jeanene Harlick

Stress. It has returned. It surrounds us, it blinds us, we
breathe it in. The euphoric days of summer are over. We now no
longer foolishly look forward to the alleviation of boredom that
school affords us. Instead, we look back fondly on the days of
summer and wonder how we could have ever wanted to return to
school. Images of grades, bills and a continuously running clock
haunt our dreams and invade our thoughts. Is there no relief from
the nightmare of the UCLA quarter system?

The vampire Stress, much like the infamous Lestat, cares not for
the harm it imposes on its victims. With its famished fangs it
latches onto our brains, there to suck from our minds the joy that
life naturally pours into our veins. And living in Los Angeles does
not help matters. Many L.A. natives are born with minds predisposed
toward stress ­ without it, many would feel lost and confused.
So I, having been born in the Bay Area and not yet fully drained by
this greedy joy-sucker, offer some humble words of advice.

First of all, we must put things in perspective. A couple of
weeks ago, I, in the throes of misery, had a cherished conversation
with my twin sister, who is now studying in France. As the money
piled up on my father’s calling card, I complained bitterly of my
miserable cross-country season and the stress I was feeling to
perform well. My sister patiently endured my sorrowful despair, and
as our conversation came to a close, she informed me that a close
friend’s mother had died of cancer a few weeks ago.

Well, that shut me up. All of a sudden, my horrid performance in
cross-country didn’t seem that important. I was ashamed of the
tears and depression I had spent over a few bad races, while my
friend was in the midst of a despair much more painful than I could
ever imagine. When I called later that week, our conversation put
cross-country even further into perspective ­ my friend was
experiencing one of the most painful and confusing tribulations of
life. I simply had no right to be worrying so much about one bad
season in a sport.

In short, the stress you may be feeling about grades, sports or
whatever, is inconsequential compared to the important things in
life. Ten years from now you probably won’t even remember some of
the classes you took in college, much less what grade you received.
Our society places unnecessary importance on numbers and letters,
but these do not form the lasting relationships which really matter
in life.

Secondly, you must remember that performance is not connected to
your self-worth. You have worth simply because you exist. I believe
that your existence is proof that God created you. If He created
you, He must have wanted you here, no matter how well you do in
school or how rich you become. You can’t bring your report card,
your trophies, your porches or your mansions with you to heaven.
All that matters in the long run is your soul. The time you spend
stressing over earthly things has no eternal importance.

Thirdly, I recommend a retreat to nature. Nature is extremely
comforting in times of stress. Here in L.A., we are surrounded by
buildings, concrete, cars and a multitude of people always in a
rush. Although we don’t realize it, it subconsciously affects our
frame of mind. It is very difficult to relax in this kind of
atmosphere. Our minds as well as our bodies are suffocated by the
over-abundance of concrete and metal; we suffer from a dearth of
greenness. When I travel outside of L.A. to regions of verdancy
­ for example, Oregon ­ I immediately notice the change
that comes over my mind. I automatically relax. My mind is allowed
to expand into the miles of unpopulated land and find peace. When I
view the grandness of nature, my minuteness is emphasized, and my
petty problems become micronized. A simple trip to the ocean may be
sufficient to bring about this peace in you. Or if that is too
difficult, I find that just looking up at the sky helps to soothe
my nerves.

I offer up one final bit of advice, although it is by no means
the last solution to beating stress. There are many out there. But
I suggest this: open your eyes again to the little miracles of
life. Even in L.A., there are many mini-miracles (say that five
times fast) that confront us daily. Smiles. Take delight in the
supreme joy of a baby’s smile, or the generous smile of a stranger
as you walk to class. Take delight in the amazing intricacies of
the mind as you successfully complete a physics problem or finish
that English paper. Take delight in the wonderful variety of music
and its ability to take your soul to a higher plane of being. Take
delight in the comforting bond of friendship. Take delight in humor
and the laughter it produces. The list goes on. Caught up in our
never-ending lists of things to do, we often overlook the
breathtaking miracles that inhabit our everyday lives.

I hope that my advice will help you somewhat in facing the
stress of academic life. At times it can seem like the stress has
taken control of your body, and that relief will never come. But
the quarter always comes to an end, senior year will finally arrive
and conclude. Life always goes on. You’ve made it through some
tough times in the past, and there is no reason why you can’t do it
again.

Jeanene Harlick is a junior English major.

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