I believe it was the great 19th Century existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard who said, “Get up offa that thing, dance and you’ll feel better!” Or, maybe it was the great 20th Century Godfather of Soul, James Brown… Regardless, these are important words to remember as we approach the end of another semester at MSU.
Semesters are like walking along a rural highway. At first, the highway is long and unending; eventually, you notice a vehicle far off in the distance; and then, as if out of nowhere, a colossal eighteen-wheeler is barreling toward you at 70 miles-per-hour.
Suddenly, you are hyper-aware of your test grades, your attendance (or lack thereof) and due dates for projects and papers. Is it possible to cram everything you have to do into the short amount of time remaining? Anxiety overwhelms you as you stare directly into impending doom.
We all face moments like this (yes, even teachers), especially at this time of year. Here are a couple of tricks to maneuver through such times.
First, don’t forget to breathe! Seriously. When we are stressed out, we breathe poorly, and that affects our bodies, our emotions and our minds. Conversely, by pausing to take “deep, cleansing breaths” and intentionally focusing on our breathing, our oxygen flow increases, our bodies relax and we boost our brainpower.
And secondly, don’t forget to dance! Research shows that simply putting down our books and our notes, getting up from our desks and away from our computer screens and stretching or exercising (even if for just ten or fifteen minutes!) can make us feel significantly better overall, as well as improve cognitive functioning. Believe it or not, dancing (yes, dancing!), counts! Not only is it fun, but it also reduces stress, improves our mood and stimulates brain activity!
So, remember to take a break from studying, take some deep breathes, crank up some James Brown (yes, that was James Brown and not Søren Kierkegaard) and “get up offa that thing!” Who cares what your roommate thinks? You’ll feel better, and you’ll think better, too!
Bert Montgomery
Instructor – Department of Philosophy & Religion and Department of Sociology
