and how would you like YOUR casket today sir?

today, i will post twice. once in the morning (now) and later in the night. the former will be a description of a typical A level student on the eve (eve being, actually, 5 hours away from his 2nd maths paper), and the latter... well, youll see it anyway so ill just go ahead and start.

hmm. let me see. where to begin? alright, how about how an average A Level student deals with stress? in this way, im making this post accessible not only to people who are enduring immense mounds of stress now (hello, Boren), but also anyone who must face his/her A Levels or similarly daunting tasks.

first, let us define stress. speaking from my point of view, trust me when i say i know exactly what stress is. being someone who has cracked beneath strain, snapped under pressure and bent before adversity, its safe to say that i DO have first hand experience on these matters and i DO know what its like to fall to nothing and crawl your way back up.

stress is the feeling you get when you are faced with a problem. this problem may be towering or tiny, but it does cause you grief and thus, inadvertently stress. its unhealthy to say the least, as it does nasty things to people. it makes them say and do things which they would, under normal circumstances, never dream of doing. it ushers doubt insecurity, inadequacy and above all FEAR into our minds. as a result, people faced with stress, especially if the stress has been mounting for some time and threatens to overwhelm the person, "blow up".

this is when the person finally comes to DEAL with the problem from whence his/her stress stems from. the term "blow up" implies that the person self-destructs or implodes, but this is not always the case. when a person "blows up", they are basically mustering whatever they have left and CONFRONTING the problem!

you see, there comes a point in time when a person must simply ASSAULT their stress. no matter how long they have been tormented by a problem and its stress, there WILL come a time when they must absolutely resolve an issue, lest they suffer even more.

there are many ways in which this happens! it is inevitable they run right, or crawl, whichever suits you : ), into the problem and face it but exactly how they go about doing that depends on the person. they can master the situation after bringing their emotions under control, they can collapse under the burden or they will just recognise that they have a problem and wait for an answer to come by. clearly, the last option is a sad, sad, sad one.

this process can be eased, but everyone MUST ABSOLUTELY ACKNOWLEDGE that if you never face a problem, no matter how small it is, it will fester and grow into something which you find unstoppable and monstrous.

keeping all this in mind, lets move right along and jump straight into how i (and you, if you would like to try out these methods!) manage stress. pulling from sources all around me i have made a definitive list of these methods, with the best being placed right at the top! (naturally, the best all come from me... i mean, youd think after being retained, threatened with expulsion. surrendering smoking etc etc i would know a couple things or so right : )

1) go for walks. these are great for you. i know that many a time we feel just so lethargic and lazy but ive been walking along dalvey estates and then dalvey road and i tell you its fantastic. just be by yourself and surround yourself with quiet and peace. you really think things through, stretch your legs and more often than not calm yourself for any incoming troubles.

2) call a friend. sometimes, solitude isnt the solution. talking and meeting with a good friend can help because it helps to have someone to confide in. talk about your worries and welcome his/her advice. remember, sometimes the answer to a problem may not be something you want to hear. if the person your talking to has known you for a long time and really really understands what your going through... well, then they DO know whats best for you, and you gotta take the good and the bad.

3) family. ill be honest: ive never really appreciated me dear old mom quite this much. ever since my problems began shes been there for me. offering words of wisdom and a shoulder to cry on (yes, i cry. i just dont like you seeing me do it.). i guess i never really grasped something until a couple weeks ago: a parent or sibling isnt just someone who lives under your roof and shares your space. he/she has been there for pretty much your whole life (well, at least the majority of it if their younger than you). i mean, its not always clear but they DO know who you are. they lived with you so long, wont they really know your traits? i figured this out when i opened up to my mom. sure, theres a generation gap that will always be there, but she does love me just like any good parent does. drawing on this love and support WILL make you stronger and more determined to face whatever looms on the horizon. heck, shes even helped me plan out my near future. so why not TRUST your parents or brothers or sisters? youd be amazed. i know i was.

4) pray. well... sure. i mean plenty of people pray. they go please God help me in this time, im scared and etc etc etc. im no minister ( i mean i only started really BELIEVING like what a month ago?) but i found something that even the most devout may be oblivious too. i dont mean to sound pretentious but i think that its wonderful how prayer can help you. ESPECIALLY if you do it this way (which, incidentally, i read in a book my mom lent me): next time you pray for help or guidance, include in your prayers things that God has provided you with. while begging for strength, thank Him for helping you with this matter that time. while pleading for wisdom, thank Him for closing this door so that a better one opened for you. youll be surprised to see how He works. you come to see that He does work in mysterious, sometimes not always clear ways, but He has a future for all of us and it is bright. this alone keeps me optimistic and siphons off my moodiness.

5) Last but not least, write it all down. like im doing now! its perfect because not only do your problems seem more physical and thus better defined, but also because in the future, after you have overcome your problem you glance back at what youve written and go "hey you know what... i was stressed but i managed to pull through. this just shows that i am stronger now than i was back then". fantastic.

so this is my list! it, like many other things on this blog, is prone to change as time goes on. but hey then again thats life isnt it? change, evolve, improve, move on. : ) so readers i really encourage you to try these styles of stress solvents because they DO work. even if they dont, what have you lost by trying eh? apathy is the great agent of stress, but if we do these things now and then just to let off bits of steam, you WILL feel better and you WILL live a healthier, comfortable life.

so to end off this post, i will answer its heading's question. if you refuse to face your problems, really FACE them and end the stress they bring, then your better off with a CLOSED casket. this is because your just going to become ugly and deformed as time moves on... NEVER, EVER shy away from a problem or distract yourself from pondering on it. this is because that deems you weak and unreliable in the eyes of people around you. how can you keep fleeing your problems and expect yourself to ever grow strong? on the other hand, if you do challenge your problems and fix them, repair whats been broken and subject yourself to change , TRUE change, then you will forever severe the stress that particular problem brought you. well then the question at hand may just elude you for that much more time ay? : )

The Bravery's Fearless

Too many fingers, too many thumbs
Something wicked this way comes
The best time I've ever had
Waiting around for something bad
Fearless, fearless, ohh
And I know that's why you love me
Fearless, fearless, come on
And I know that's why you love me, chica
And I know that's why you love me, chica
And I know that's why you love me, chica