STRESS

  Ok for law school dreamers- I don't want to scare you.  Law school is really awesome and I don't regret my decision at all.  I'm learning so much and am really starting to feel empowered by the skills (well the limited skills) I've developed already.   If studying the law is something that makes you excited- go for it!  However, you should also understand that this is not an environment where everyone is spouting sunshine and rainbows all the time.  My classmates and I are all competing to do well and are learning pretty dense material.  The workload is ridiculous and the pressure to do well on exams is unbelievably intense.   People constantly feel the need to compare themselves with others ( myself included) and the fear of failure is not an entirely uncommon conversation topic.  Hence, the law school environment and eventually a law school career will involve a considerable amount of stress.

Unfortunately I have not handled this pressure well- at all.  When people ask me how I handle everything, I usually try and talk about keeping a good perspective and remembering what is really important in life, when in reality, I'm seriously panicking.  Instead of tackling my school work head on and not allowing myself to become consumed by the stress, I just avoid my work.  I read my favorite fashion blogs, window shop online, watch Grey's anatomy on hulu starting at season 1..... anything and everything to avoid facing the law school music.  And then because I've procrastinated I stress even more to the point where I physically don't feel well either.  I've never been like this in my life- I've always been a worrier but I feel like my life is being controlled by these feelings.

This is a pretty personal topic for me and I'm a little hesitant about talking about it, but I'm realizing that this is something most people (yes life beyond the 1L bubble can also be stressful) can relate to.  I always pray for my friends who are under a lot of stress because I know it can just feel like this unbearably heavy burden on your shoulders that you don't know how to get rid of.   

So I'm opening up a forum of sorts- how do you handle your stress?  Is there an activity that you like to do that just makes all your worries go away?  Are their habits that you have that ensure that stressful situations stay at bay?   Chocolate?  Mani/Pedis?  I'd love to hear your stories!

After just admitting to being an epic fail at stress management I know I've lost a little credibility, but I thought I'd start the discussion by sharing a few things that have started to help me a little bit.

1) Making sure to have a little victory each day that I can be proud of- every day I try to do something productive so that at the end of the day, even when I feel like I failed, I can look to that one little victory and not feel as bad.

2) Cooking- a fun, relaxing, and yummy hobby.  Rather than sitting on the internet to procrastinate this activity at least feels a little more productive and usually I can share my goodies with others which always makes me feel good.

3) Removing myself from my classmates- I go to school with incredibly nice and driven people but I have a real problem with comparing myself to others so I have started studying off campus so I can't do that as much.  This has probably been the most helpful

4) Talking to others and admitting I have a problem.  My poor boyfriend.... everyday we talk on the phone and he gets an earful from me about how stressed I've been.  But having someone to vent to everyday has been a God-send this semester.  He is so incredibly supportive and just lets me say what I need to say without judgment.  My friends and family have also been so supportive- knowing that at the end of the day they are going to love me no matter what happens is what keeps me going everyday.

Cute and Relaxed.... Life doesn't get much better than that!

To those of you who are feeling bogged down by stress and anxiety I will be praying for you!  Stress can really control your life to the point where you feel like it will never leave, but finding support and being open is, I think, one of the best ways to start turning around.