Sure-fire Stress Busters from Fifth Graders

Did you know what stress was when you were in the fifth grade? I can tell you for sure that I didn't: not the word nor the concept. Sure I worried at times, but stress was not something we talked about much in the 50's.

A teacher asked her fifth graders, in the midst of Virginia's standards of learning (SOL) tests the children were taking, "What are some things that give you stress?" Here are some of their answers:

Things That Make Stress

1. S.O.L.s (not surprisingly)

2. Too much work to do

3. Too busy a schedule

4. When somebody makes fun of me

5. Death

6. An essay assignment

7. Striking out in a baseball game

8. Friends: one day they're smiling at you and the next day they're in a fight with you

9. Movies

10. When I miss my parents

11. Fitness training

12. My next-door neighbors

13. Being with or talking to my mother

14. Thinking about my uncle who has cancer and had a stroke on Easter Sunday

15. Girls

16. Boys

Pretty good list, but the teacher didn't stop there. She asked the children to write down, "How do you get rid of stress?"These children had a wonderful list of practical ideas. Somehow children are frequently able to put things so simply that they communicate instantly. I invite you to not only put some of these into practice in your own life, but to cut them out and hang them on your refrigerator:

How To Get Rid of Stress:

1. I try to think of something else

2. Thinking about the good times

3. Ride my bike

4. Play with my bird

5. Read a good book

6. Take a walk in the woods

7. Break pencils into pieces

8. Go to sleep

9. Watch TV

10. Go to my room and do something quiet

11. Stick my thumb in the top of my mouth

12. Squeeze something squishy like a stress ball

13. Take a deep breath

14. Talk to my parents

15. Mow the yard

16. Go out by the pond

17. Work on one thing at a time

18. I let out a big scream and calm down

19. Draw

20. Call my friend on the phone and talk

21. Listen to music

22. Spend time with the people I love

Couldn't have said it better myself. Matter of fact, I have a feeling I could have written these same thoughts in paragraphs with long sentences, but I think this communicates much better. Our thanks to the fifth grade students of Bea Crantz at Linville Edom Elementary School in Linville, Virginia.

If you're interested, there is more information about:
The most important event of all time and
The most important Book of all time.

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Contributed by Melodie Davis from her weekly columnANOTHER WAY (http://www.thirdway.com/aw/).For information on using Another Way in a local newspaper, contact:ANOTHER WAY, 1251 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22801-2497; or call1-800-999-3534; fax at 540-434-5556; or email me at:Melodie@mennomedia.org