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Happiness 101: The Right Way to Deal with Stress

Prioritizing your mental health must come before all else: be it work, college, or relationship drama. Here's the right way to channel your frustrations.

By Elianor M.A.Published 5 years ago 3 min read
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I'm the most stressed out person I know. I mean, it's so easy for anyone to constantly worry about the future and forget about the present. "What if I don't get into medical school?" or "What if I'll die alone?" or "What if I get fired tomorrow?": Our minds are always pushing us into a state of doubt and of perpetual worry that literally does not change the outcome. Worrying ruins the journey. The real question we should be asking ourselves is: "Why generate thousands of hypothetical scenarios when we could just transform what's upsetting us into something that uplifts us?"

One of my closest friends, Marc, is the least stressed out person I know. And I always ask him, "How are you not freaking out over midterms?", with a backpack full of notes and past exams.

And he says, "Just chill out, everything will work out eventually."

I always wondered, "What does this kid do to forget the world?" I admit, I was even a little bit jealous, in a totally healthy way. So I decided to take up blogging and writing more seriously, whilst finding a balance with playing the piano and guitar. That's how I dealt with my stress.

But that's not how everyone deals with theirs.

Marc's the composer of the group. He's an underrated, total musical genius that channels whatever's bothering him or exciting him into a musical masterpiece, with his own lyrics and vocals to match. What Marc teaches us is that you don't really need a time and place to create. Live in the moment, say what you want to say, and don't care about who's watching. He never goes to the practice rooms on campus, or schedules music lessons with the music school downtown. He just does his own thing whenever he feels like it. He doesn't care if anyone's watching, or if all eyes are on him.

And this is the way it should be. You don't need to have a piano around you, or have the greatest story to tell. Whatever you feel, just feel it. If you're feeling sad, it's okay to play a sad song to feel happy. It's okay to feel whatever it is that you're feeling. Here's a definitive guide to being happy, even when you have a million things to do:

1) Accept that you don't have control over everything in your life.

I know, that's not exactly what you want to hear. We all want to feel like we're steering the ship of our lives, but we tend to forget that we can't control the weather.

2) Be Sad:

The first step to feeling happiness is experiencing sadness. It's completely healthy to mourn and complain, within limits. Embrace what you're feeling and think about how what you're feeling right now isn't what you'll be feeling for the rest of your life. Call a friend and talk about it. Set-up a Monthly calendar and mark events that you're looking forward to. Don't numb yourself to get over it because it won't make your problem go way: facing it will.

3) Let it Out:

If you're anything like me and Marc, you're probably on your way to the nearest piano. But you don't need to be a musician or a writer to channel your emotions. Think about what activity brings you joy. It may even be a lazy Netflix marathon or a trip to the grocery store. It doesn't have to be grand or exciting. It has to be all you.

I've told you all plenty about Marc, so if you'd like to see this virtuoso in action, check out his YouTube channel and latest video below. Who knows, maybe listening to relaxing songs on the piano may turn out to be your thing!

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About the Creator

Elianor M.A.

Elianor M.A. is an award-winning screenwriter. She is also a published novelist and columnist, focused on activism and pop culture.

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