Ways to Relieve Stress

I am not 21 anymore. Another year older and I'd like to think a little bit wiser. I am not saying that I have it all figured out, because I'm not even close, but I have learned a lot from my life experiences. I know who I am and what I want in life, now the issue is following through on the changes I want to make.

One of the big things I have come to admit about myself is that I am prone to stress. I am not kidding when I say that they way stress affects me is not normal. It destroys me. Now that I have come to terms with that I have found new and different ways of dealing with it. If I hadn't, someone might have had no other choice but to check me into the loony bin.

1. Reading: I have loved to read since I was born. This is not a new development. It has always been a way for me to relax and get away from reality. It is something I always made time for no matter how busy I was with school, work, etc. I always had a book that I was reading for the pure enjoyment of it. I will never quit that habit. It was instilled in me since birth.

2. Bath & Bodyworks: I was never one to believe in the power of aromatherapy until the end of 2011. I was student teaching which is the ultimate definition of stress. I had this stress relief soap from Bath & Bodyworks that I didn't really think much of until I realized how much better I felt after smelling it. It really did relax me. So over the course of a few months I have a candle, lotion, body scrub, body wash & foam bath, shampoo and conditioner. I am so serious when I say that spending all that money on those products is so worth it. I even have backups for when I run out.

3. Routines: When you are younger you go to bed late and don't bother to wash your face. You wake up late for school and don't take time to eat breakfast or moisturizer. Having a routine makes everything go more smoothly and makes you feel better. I am not perfect at this by any means but I am making an effort. I realize how important it is now.

4. Yoga: I started going to classes at my university. I think it's great for overall wellness. It stretches your muscles, relaxes you, and even helps with weight loss. I am working hard to make this part of my daly routine. Slowly but surely I am getting into it. I have done it once since the new year started. I have a DVD and a mat. I just need to start doing it daily.

All of these things will help me when I get a teaching job and the stress really kicks in.

Oh and I almost forgot the most important thing: PRAYER!

Prayer helped me get 3 subbing jobs in the next few weeks. I also just applied for teaching positions in South Carolina so we'll see what happens.

Hello 2012, Hello Real World

It has been a few months since I have updated my blog. There are a few reasons for this: 1. The end of my student teaching in Charleston was really stressful due to resume writing, job fairs, and last minute paperwork. 2. I graduated from Ashland University on December 17. 3. The holidays were filled with family gatherings, braving the crowds for last minute shopping, and catching up with friends.

I did it. I finally graduated from college after 3 1/2 years. I worked my butt off for the entire duration and I came out with a 3.97 cumulative GPA and was even 4th in my class of about 165 students.

This is all very exciting stuff, but also very scary. Just about everyone I know started another semester today and I didn't I am really done. Sure I have lots of free time, but now I have the daunting task of finding a permanent job in my field. The job fair in Charleston did not go as well as I had planned. Nothing came of it, but there is another job fair there in March. The brand new middle school opening in the fall will be there so a ton of jobs will be open because of it. I am holding on to the hope that I can get a job that takes me back to where the sun always shines.

In the meantime, I am spending a lot of time on Pinterest, making crafts and adding new recipes to try on a dreary day (and there are lots of them in Ohio). I have been spending a lot of quality time with my dog because I don't know how much time the old pup has left. I missed cable while I was gone so I've been watching a lot of show and movies. Right now I'm on a Boy Meets World kick because I discovered its on MTV2 every day. I also just got onto the sub list for Summit County so I hope to be making some money soon. I even applied at Books-a-Million today because I know I need something else and I don't want that something else to be McDonalds anymore.

The "real world" is creeping up on me. Scratch that, it is here. I am going to have to start paying my own phone bill, car insurance, rent, and pretty soon student loans. So this blog has shifted from a student Teacher's adventures in Charleston to a new Teacher's adventures in the real world. Here we go.