Why Are You Stressed?
This is America. Stress is the name of the game, especially if you’re in college — right? Feeling stressed means that we’re working hard. Working hard means that we’re preparing for the future. Preparing for the future means that, someday, we’re going to have the lives we’ve always dreamed of.
… Or are we?
Take about six steps backward and look at the big picture. Ask those tough questions that your high school teachers tried to make you ignore. Why are you in college? Why are you majoring in _______? Are you learning relevant material?
Are you thinking yet? If you’ve read this far, you probably have some unanswered questions. Stay with me, then, because it’s about to get much harder.
You: AHH! I’m sooo stressed!
Me: Uh-oh, why’s that?
You: I’ve got six exams, four projects, nine dissertations and a partridge in a pear tree due next week! I’m gonna DIE!!
Me: Okay, simmer down. Stress isn’t caused by the work; it’s caused by how you react to the work. Why are you doing so much, anyway? Is getting straight A’s really worth all of this?
You: Yes, because I’m trying to get into med school! And law school! And underwater basketweaving school! And…
Me: Wow! Why do you want to do that?
You: So I can become a doctor! And a lawyer! And… an underwater basketweaver?
Me: Okay, that’s quite an ambition… why did you choose those particular fields?
Now if this is something that you’re honestly struggling with, I want you to take a moment to think about that last question. Seriously — don’t continue reading until you’ve answered it.
If your answer contained anything resembling the words “parents” or “money,” don’t take this too harshly, but you’re in the wrong field. I don’t care how much money you can make, or what other people expect of you; if you cannot honestly say that you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing because you enjoy it (not simply that enjoying it is a side effect), and because it’s important to the world, you’re going to be miserable for the rest of your life.
Some of you, especially younger pre-med majors, are screaming at me right now. 
“But Scott, it’s all going to pay off in the end! Once I’m done with undergrad and med school and residency and cult initiation, I’m going to love my job!”
I’m going to fire back: What, exactly, is the purpose of going through college/med school/residency? Is it not to prepare you for what you’re going to experience on the job? Is it not so that you can “practice” medicine effectively? And wouldn’t the most effective way to learn be by experiencing (as much as possible) things that pertain to the job you hope to someday have?
You can put two and two together. If you don’t like your major, and assuming that your major is actually similar to your desired career path, how are you ever going to enjoy your career? Or, for that matter, your life? (And if your major has nothing to do with its corresponding career, what’s the point of college in the first place?)
I’ve touched on this before in Purpose of Education.
So let’s say that you’ve come to an epiphany. You hate Underwater Basketweaving. Congratulations! Now, then, what’s next? If you’ve been paying attention, that step should be obvious — decide what you want to do. (There’s something for everyone… even if it’s Entrepreneurship!) Some would argue that you should choose a career path based on service, calling, contribution or what have you. I agree with that, but it still has to be something you truly want to do. Otherwise, you won’t do it effectively, no matter how important it is.
At this point, don’t even think about how much money you’ll be making (or not making). In fact, don’t even think about how much skill you have in a given field. If you’re doing what you truly love, both of those things (not to mention straight A’s) will come naturally. When your work stops feeling like work and starts feeling like an enjoyable hobby, you’ll know you’ve hit the jackpot. And hitting the jackpot is a great way to relieve stress.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go change my major.
Article partially inspired by this podcast: Creative Self-Expression
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