During the new and daunting DP 2, I have realized first hand the importance of destressing myself so as to be able to complete my work efficiently and punctually. This time for destressing has come to me during the IB wellness blocks. I have taken a physically active approach to destress since it helps both my psychological and physical well-being.
During some of the IB wellness blocks, I performed guided meditations. It helped me calm down and stopped my mind from racing with the thoughts of the upcoming assignments. I found mental tranquility in those engrossing 20 minutes. I focused on the intake and release of air and stared at the phosphenes through my closed eyes. The relaxing experience gave me a boost in my capacity to work and it helped me power through some tough weeks in DP 2.
Another activity I was engaged in was doing cardio workouts. Attached below are a pair of photos entailing one of my visits to the gym.
Performing cardio workouts does not just improve your physical stamina and well-being, but it also sharpens your mental fortitude. It is more than easy to just give up with a drop of fatigue hits your joints and muscles, but pushing through that is what is hard. I have been doing cardio since the 9th grade and suppressing the idea of surrender had become second nature to me. However, it had been a substantial period of time separating this workout and the last one. The mental fortress I had built up was rusted and I was very close to succumbing to failure. Fortunately, the company of captivating melodies strengthened my will and I kept going until it was time for me to return home to engage in my next class. The 3 kilometers I ran loosened my stiff body and reinforced my mental state for learning.
Through these two actions of physical activity, I believe that I have met some learning outcomes. LO1, for example, was met through revisiting my cardio journey and identifying that I had weakened my once strong mentality. I also achieved LO2 through trying out a new experience in the guided meditation. It opened a new avenue to help me destress and take my mind of work. I met LO3, by utilizing my IB wellness blocks effectively and improving my well-being through perseverance in the CAS experiences. I will continue to find other ways in which I can destress or improve my well-being maybe via creativity or service next time!