By Harry Pearse
Staff Writer
Throughout college, there are an abundance of happy, elated and amazing times and memories that we share and create. However, as we all know, there are also those stresses and annoyances that bring us down. For example, at the beginning of the semester, I was excited to sink my teeth into new things and was enjoying life. Yet, right before spring break, I broke my fourth metatarsal in my foot and my mood dropped. I began to feel “bovved” — meaning, I couldn’t be bothered.
Photo: Stefanie Mosenson
Going to school became a chore rather than a place to learn new and exciting things. The week before leaving for Acapulco, my spring break destination, this became extremely apparent. So, I was hoping the time away from the stresses of school and other matters, which were becoming a burden to my serenity, would dissolve. But having a broken foot is not something you can leave behind in Hicksville.
I know many of you are feeling very much the same as I am about school and life at the moment, but the weird thing is, these feeling don’t apply when we rave it out at happy hour, or see the lights of the Big Apple on the weekends (apart from me, where I can’t exactly rave it out with the huge metal boot I have on my foot).
What can we do not to feel constantly bogged down with work or see school as a place of boredom?
One thing that has really helped me to reach my leveled karma is yoga. My partner in crime, Jason Lampkin, a junior International Business major, invited me to a yoga class at the Pratt Center — all free of charge, I might add. It was really great fun!
Sadly for us soccer players, and many other athletes, our hamstrings are pretty short and therefore so tight. At times, I must admit, I did have a few beads of sweat that seem to have their own little spring break on my forehead, throughout the session.
However it was very relaxing and helped to loosen a lot of muscles, such as the back and neck, which do suffer when stress is apparent. I seriously suggest classes like this, which happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. at Pratt. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, you can even take yoga as a class for school credit!
Go speak to your success coach and see if you can fit it into your schedule because not only will you get easy credits, you will come out feeling almost released of all the things that were swimming around in your head before, therefore allowing you an excuse for that break you need during your revisions of essays that we spoke about a couple of weeks ago. And don’t forget to say: Namaste!
Another way to beat the feeling of frustration and stress-related anger is to simply be happy! I know, it sounds like an easy task, but being happy comes with many things. It’s not just ‘not looking angry’; it’s saying thank you, giving compliments and opening a door for someone. Since I have been here in the U.S., I have been shocked at how many people are just oblivious to others, not opening doors, not saying thank you, and for me being quite rude!
I always open the door for people — “ladies first,” etc. This may be completely different in America compared to England, but I find it totally bizarre that people don’t! I am not saying that everyone is guilty of being ignorant of other people, because there are many who do have courteous habits. However, try to make a special effort to be that one person who differs from everyone else, and pay someone random a compliment. I am probably the worst at being blunt. When I am angry or depressed, I just want to be by myself and deal with my problems, but when I want to be social and nice to others, giving them a few minutes of my day I feel as if my mood is being uplifted. Give it a try!
I gave someone a compliment about her coat the other week, completely out of the blue, and she said, “I thought it looked bad!” She said that I made her day, and then I felt good that I had made someone else feel better. So, give it a go, be the one who makes someone’s day and remember, if you are the one who is happy, smiley, opening a door for someone here, and paying a compliment there, you are going to spread that around!
P.S. For you boys, it’s been statistically proven that the majority of girls love gentlemen. Something to keep in mind!
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