The election is over, we can go back to our normal everyday stress now, rejoice!

Stress; it seems to be the only thing talked about these days. The stress of the election was talked about for weeks, months, years, and it is still not over. A lot of people are very stressed about the future of this country, the national debt, foreign affairs, environmental issues, Supreme Court Justices, and personal rights. Basically the entire political climate is currently wrapped in stress. But now, the election is over, so maybe just maybe, we can put some of that stress behind us, and go back to stressing about the other things we used to stress about! That is what I am going to do. As a college senior I am used to stress, and I can say with a strange sense of relief, I am happy I can stop stressing about the election, and go back to stressing about my future, and get back to addressing my favorite question of all time, “What am I going to do after graduation?”

I understand, we all understand. The stress of deciding a future at age 22 is terrible, I can barely figure out how to cook a balanced meal and get all my homework done and remember all my family members' birthdays. It is exhausting, and thinking about the vast void that is our future is much too overwhelming to handle.

Almost all of us can relate to this, or will relate to in the upcoming years of college if you are not a graduating senior. The question of what to do after graduation is a chronic stressor.  For me, it is both internal and external, I think about it all the time, so it is cognitive, but there are also countless physical reminders in my planner, emails, and University based events for graduating seniors. The stress of what one is doing after graduation persists for a long time, sometimes months and years, and the process of applying to jobs can last for months as well. As we learned in class, chronic stress is “important for endurance,” and helped our ancestors persist “through frigid winters.”(lecture 11/7) If the stress helped them stay motivated and get through, (although frigid winters, really? That is basically every winter here in Michigan, so we are well equipped at dealing with more than one stressor at a time) we can persist through the stressful time period of job hunting and planning our future. But lets break it down, what is actually going on when I feel like I am slowly losing my mind trying to apply for jobs and become a productive member of society and not embarrass the entire University of Michigan population after graduation (because let's be honest they set some pretty high expectations). First of all, our bodies have a very strong reaction to stress, especially chronic stress. Over time, bodies “raise fat storage, raise emotional responsiveness, and suppression of immune responses” (lecture 11/7) The reason people gain weight while stressed, are on edge more often, and get sicker more easily, is because our bodies are dealing with a lot and get overworked. Dealing with stress causes other aspects of our body to fail, and that is why it is so crucial to not get run down. 

So what do we do about this? How to manage the age old question that we all know is going to come up over Thanksgiving, “So, what are your plans for after graduation?” Rather than be rude and snippy, or say something ever so witty like, “sleep,” “eat,” or my personal favorite, “I guess we will find out,” be aware of the stress you are under, and be honest with that uncle, aunt, or random significant other your 3^rd cousin has brought to Thanksgiving. Tell them that by asking you that question they have become a stressor in your life and therefore are causing your body to have a physiological reaction that has negative health benefits, and then blame them for feeling sick or weak. It is clear, direct, and honest. But all jokes aside, stress can harm your body, and being more stressed over Thanksgiving means you could get sick when you come back to school for finals or retain more of that Thanksgiving meal.  Remember, while yes, some stress might be unavoidable it is manageable, and there is never any reason to feel overwhelmed. 

Ways to actually manage the stress is to take time for you, restore yourself. No one is going to find a job sitting at a computer applying for hours on end, you will get worn down and even more stressed out, so remember those restoration techniques. Take a hammock or blanket and lay it out near the Diag or Law Quad, look at the leaves changing colors and just take some deep breaths. Force your roommates to walk with you down to Main Street and try some free samples at Cherry Republic, or go explore a free museum on campus that we all tend to forget we have. Just realize there are a lot of ways to restore yourself and get the feeling of being away, being fascinated, extent, and compatibility right here in Ann Arbor.

Last but not least, know that you are going to get a job, we are all going to go on to do great things and be ok, so learn to not let that chronic stressor take over your life, and take time for yourself.

P.s. Also be very thankful the election is over.

Cited: The Office, S3 E22
Friends S9, E11
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2009/fall/
http://abc7news.com/politics/photos-fmr-president-bill-clinton-loves-balloons/1448641/
2016, White House Correspondents Dinner, http://giphy.com/search/whitehouse-correspondents-dinner
Psych 384 Lecture, Stress, November 7, 2016