Thanksgiving is the season to give thanks, but why limit our thanksgiving to just one season out of the entire year? For college students, stress can inhibit our ability to feel thankful about anything in our school careers. But being thankful can lead to positive thinking. Maintaining a positive outlook throughout all our classes, exams, and projects can not only change our attitude, but can also have the power to make us happier and more successful in school.  

One Step at a Time

I recently learned an important lesson about being stress free from one of my professors at Utah Valley University, Dr. Leandra Hernandez. She has been my favorite professor throughout my college career thus far, not only because of her teaching abilities, sense of humor, and passion about what she teaches, but most importantly because of her motto of being stress free. 

The Media Ethics class that she teaches covers some difficult content and it is easy to feel overwhelmed. She constantly reminds us to be stress free and take things one step at a time. I have learned that by following her advice, I am more positive in that class and more thankful for the opportunity that I have to receive an education.

An Amazing Impact

I’ve tried to apply this motto to everything in my life instead of just the Media Ethics class, and I was amazed by the impact that it had. Of course, my stress didn’t just vanish. But when I stopped to identify the source of my stress, I could break down what I needed to do into more manageable steps and then take them one at a time. Taking this active approach also helped me recognize things that can’t be changed or were out of  my control. Being proactive in handling my stress made me feel so happy, positive, and grateful. 

Giving thanks in this season is important, but sometimes can be difficult with all the stress surrounding us. As we try to be stress free and take things one step at a time, it will help us to be more positive and relaxed. It’s easier to be more thankful when you are feeling at peace with your surroundings. I invite everyone who’s reading this post to take a second and think about all the things that are stressors in your life, and turn them into something more positive. Take things one step at a time and be thankful for all you have.