At first, I felt a bit intimidated talking within such a small group with GRF Magdala and guest speaker Ineke Demuynck about such personal matters of mental health. Nonetheless, once one person opened up, I felt more comfortable as well. When we talked about methods of dealing with stress, I realized how people had different preferences. For example, my choice would be to talk it out with my sister over Facetime. For me, speaking out my problems, concerns or rants helps me process it more than just internalizing it by myself. Once the thoughts leave my mouth, I have the opportunity to rethink and re frame my perspective about a stressful situation. Nonetheless, someone else in the group internalized it differently. Two other students preferred to be alone when dealing with stress. Instead of speaking with someone, they wanted time to decompress and think by themselves.
Additionally, I noticed that most of our stress stems from comparison with others, and feeling as though we are not doing enough compared to others. Nonetheless, I believe it’s important to stay clear of these comparisons because everyone is on a different path. Everyone has a different goal and destination, so it would be reasonable for us to have different paths and methods of getting there. Therefore, it’s unfair to yourself to compare, because you will get to your destination with time. In the past, it was difficult not to compare to others, but now I value myself and all the work I put into my work.
It’s also quite interesting to hear Ms.Demuynck speak more about the science behind stress and how stress is not always a bad thing. Furthermore, we ended with creating a mantra to repeat to ourselves every day. Though a bit cliche, I chose “You are trying.” This mantra resonates with me because it lets me know that even when situations aren’t in my favor, I put all my effort into it. Therefore, I will not beat myself up because I know I tried my best.
Though I had a prelim the next day, I left the table talk with an open and calm mind.
I agree that Ms. Demuynck’s contributions to the conversation were really valuable. Having her explain more of the scientific aspects of stress in terms of neurological pathways helped shape stress as a logical response that has a physical basis. It was interesting to hear about this side of stress while also discussing the success she has had with people using mantras and visualizations. While I agree they at first seem a little bit cliche, there is something strangely powerful about such simple coping mechanisms. That one topic can have such scientific complexity but such simplistic, effective coping mechanisms is incredibly fascinating.