It's that time of the year again when I almost dread going to bed. Every night I have any of the following nightmares: a) I show up at the exam and I have no idea what the questions on the test are about; b) I miss the final exam completely because I get on the wrong bus or show up in the wrong classroom; c) I find out I haven't handed in one particular high school assignment therefore my degrees and certificates to date are null and void; and/or d) I'm back in high school and I can't find my locker and, even if I do, I don't know the combination to my lock.
Yep, it's back-to-school phobia. Now what is funny in all of this is that I am a student counselor so I - of all people - show have this September angst whupped. Time to take a little of my own advice which is that while you and I cannot control all of the external events happening in our lives - the school term rolling around for one - we can control (to some degree) how we respond to our stressors.
And at the end of the day, the advice is always the same - it goes like so:
Eat a balanced diet - one that is rich in vegetables and whole grains, and low in saturated fat and refined carbs.
Be physically active - aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking every day.
Don't smoke. Avoid alcohol and drugs - including caffeine. If you can't avoid, at least minimize.
Get enough sleep - most North Americans are sleep deprived and as a result suffer depression and lack of focus.
Get regular preventive check ups - see your Nurse Practitioner or Family Physician and Dentist regularly.
Keep in touch with family - don't sever your links even if times are difficult. People and situations do change.
Develop friendships - students often "bond" by joining teams or activities. You need people to laugh and cry with. If you can't make human friends, get a cat or a dog. Actually, get a pet anyway - studies show you'll live longer and be happier.
Be safe. Always wear your seatbelt. Start wearing a bike helmet. Make sure your place has a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Never go for a walk or job at night by yourself. Most attacks happen to people who are alone. The old adage - "There's safety in numbers" - is true.
Keep a positive attitude - studies have shown that people who have a positive attitude tend to live longer and lead happier lives.
Sadly, what doesn't get emphasized in most "self-help" manuals is the following - develop and safeguard your spiritual health. For those of us who have a religious faith this means having an ongoing and maturing relationship with God. We need this so that we can better understand the Calls on our lives and more squarely face the challenges. Even agnostics and atheists will agree that humans need a sense of purpose. In his book "Man's Search for Meaning," Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist, devout Jew and holocaust survivor, put this so eloquently: He who knows the "why" for his existence, will be able to bear almost any "how."
This Fall as you tune up your physical, mental and social/emotional health - do not forget your spiritual health. Attend worship, pray, be grateful for the things you do have, and always Choose Life. I am not being schmaltzy here. Frankl reminds us that it was human hands that built the death camps in WW2 and human hands that entered these gas chambers lifted in prayer. I am reminded of the Sunday school song, "Oh be careful little hands, what you do..."
Jan Carrie Steven, MA, RSW, is Chaplain, Volunteer, Counselor and Small Business Person.
Visit her websites and columns:
http://www.smallthings.ca - http://www.basic-counseling-skills.com
Jan has a passion for small churches, shelter pets, counseling or visiting with lonely people, and her arts, books, crafts and delights shop called "Small Things." Her mission statement and store name is borrowed from Mother Teresa who said: "We can do no great things. Only small things with great love." Jan is a wife to one and mother to five.
Contact her at jan.carrie.steven@gmail.com
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