Stress; the slayer of mental wellness.

I stand in front of the mirror, pick up my remote, turn up the volume on my speaker, and pretend to be a musician.

Just enjoy the process, they advised, as if it were that simple!

The MBA program is so demanding. It is really difficult to balance classes, assignments, work, networking, healthy living and so much more! Living a balanced life on the program is a struggle, you have to participate in everything but you also want to have a good lifestyle. I came to B-school hoping that the experience would help me figure out what I want to pursue with my life, how to find my passion and purpose, and how to make such a difference in the world, but it appears like I’m wandering more away from that dream.

I almost lost myself this week, so much so that it didn’t feel like a learning process but rather a routine activity; dealing with blogging, co-curricular activities for CFA and DA, a slew of homework, multiple presentations, and ABP’s intensive case study; this was a major stressor for me and everyone on the team…the way Rasheedat’s eye turned red when it appeared that we would not be capable of completing the analysis, or Gbemi’s hunger-stricken face after 7 hours of no food, or Lilian turning into ‘Nwa Teacher’ writing points on the board, or the fact that I scratched my wig till it looked like Albert Einstein’s hair because I was fatigued. Phew!

I thought to myself, “How much capacity can you build for what’s to come?” since this isn’t going to be simple. Sincerely, it’s difficult to know how far you can go until you decide to test your boundaries.

But, amidst all the work to be done, are we allotting enough time for rest and recovery? : (

The impact of stress on mental health should not be ignored; people may adopt unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking, overeating, or even undereating as a result of stress. It may assist to reduce stress for a brief period. In the long run, it is detrimental. As a result, we must seek out certain positive stress-relieving activities. I’m not sure what works best for you, but I prefer to begin and end each day with optimistic affirmations…

‘I choose to remain calm in the face of stress and pressure’

‘I am resilient; I’ll get through this’

‘I’ll take things one day at a time, I’ll do the best I can’

Role play is another stress-relieving hobby for me; I stand in front of the mirror, pick up my remote, turn up the volume on my speaker, and pretend to be a musician. : )

‘Make time to relax and unwind, if you don’t balance it, you will just di* before the program is over...’ one professor wittily said. What other option do I have? This is still my journey after all, and I must persevere until I reach my objective.

‘Persist and you won’t be disappointed…’ they say…this time I’m looking forward to finding out.