That Queasy Feeling In Your Stomach Could Surely Be Stress
By Parisa Esmaili

Your heart is racing and the feeling of vomit that lodges between your esophagus and mouth gradually come closer and closer to actual projection. The stomach pains that you mistook earlier for food poisoning turn out to be butterflies that insist on staying with you throughout the day and your sweaty-palm syndrome does not have any intentions of stopping.

As you wipe your hands down the side of your jeans for the umpteenth time, you begin to run down the list of things you need to do before the day ends. Or, by the way you’re taking it, before the month ends. Intern 9:00 am - 1:30 pm; work 2:00 - 7:00; school 7:30 -10:00; then there’s dishes that have been in the sink for two days, massive piles of unaccomplished homework, e-mails, and bills, and perhaps if you find the time, taking a “personal,” but those never seem to exist. Congratulations, stress has successfully taken over your body and mind once again.

Stress has no equal. The fact that it is something you can overcome makes it more difficult to understand why we allow it to take over us. According to the University of Florida’s Counseling Center, stress comes from the environment you live in- like the over-crowded streets, pollution, or loud traffic. It also comes from how you take care of yourself, your social environment, and yes, your very own thoughts; the part that so many of us try to escape.

Walk down the streets of New York or drive down any road in Kansas and you will see lips silently open and close as heads bobble back and forth. You see a smile that displays every pearl in their mouth until they realize they caught your attention and they blush in embarrassment. Either way, music is slowly alleviating the rendering thoughts that they wanted out. It puts people back at ease and reminds them life is fragile. Stress can put you between the ones you care for because it can be mistaken for extreme mood swings or severe depression. It also can take you on the discomforting journey of “the butterflies” and no reasons for anger.

The center encourages clarifying your values and deciding what you really want out of your life, can help you feel better about yourself and have that sense of satisfaction and centeredness that helps you deal with the stresses of life. If you work at developing a balanced life, and voice your problems, one finds their stress slowly dissipates.

While stress can put people on the out and really make you want to bash your head against the wall in some instances, stress can be good for you. It keeps you on your toes, and forces the procrastinators of the world to get their work done.