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Battling Stress: When to Get Help With Essay and How to Do It”

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Battling Stress

by Clifton Oliver

Almost every student experiences the disappointment of not getting the grade they expected at least once. It often plays out like this.
You had put in several strenuous hours into that one paper and was convinced that you are going to get a top grade. While the result was frustrating, you decide to put in more effort the next time.

Unfortunately, the case is not different the next time. Before you know it, you are stressed about every single assignment that comes your way. The anxiety reflects in your academic performance, further downgrading your college experience.

When to Get Essay Help?

Do you find yourself battling with stress because of bad grades? According to the professionals at EssayHub many students who seek essay help are concerned about writing an essay that their professor likes. Many a time, they don’t even understand the instructions of the assignment correctly. This often leads to the paper not pertaining to the topic in question or discussing the arguments effectively.

The first step is to acknowledge that you could do better with some outside help. When you do, here is how you can get it.

How to Get Essay Help

1. Find the Right Resources

Most universities often have dedicated web pages that explain how students can approach different essay types and meet the requirements. These would give you detailed instructions on how to read the assignment, develop a thesis, and structure your paper. Take time to read and understand these points. If you have concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to your professor or peers.

2. Look for Essay Writing Services

Thanks to the internet, now you can work with top-notch essay writing services in no time. Search for best essay writing services reviews for sites such as https://nocramming.com to get access to sample essays. They can also connect you to writers who can guide you through the process of writing.

In addition, most of these essay platforms also feature a blog section with tips and tricks on academic paper writing. You can find any types of essays that are unique and tailored to your requirements to use as references.

3. Get Essay Tutoring

Not every academic platform will let you see or talk to their writers. Some might only give you essays to refer to. If you think a more personal approach would be better for you, consider a private tutor. The one way is to look for tutoring online that will be similar to working with a writer. However, you will be able to get feedback and improve your writing simultaneously.

Alternatively, you might also be able to find peers who can help you with your essay struggles. Having someone else look at your work can point you to any mistakes you overlooked while reading the assignment. They will also be able to identify the errors from the reader’s point of view. This will help you compose a paper that convinces the reader of your arguments.

4. Take an Online Class

As much as students have to write essays, they are not always taught how to do that. So it might be time you do something about it. Online educational platforms such as Udemy, EdX, and Coursera have numerous writing programs that focus on teaching essay writing. They will prepare you for the entire process, such as planning your essay, doing a literature review, discussion, and referencing. You will get a full-fledged course on essay writing for a fraction of your tuition fee, and you will be able to use it throughout your life.

5. Get Feedback

We already discussed getting a peer for tutor you. But if you do not want to go that far, you can ask a few of your friends to take a look at your essay. You have to understand that your professor would be grading nearly a dozen papers in a day, if not more. They might not have sufficient time to attend to each sentence, especially if it is not articulated well.

A fresh set of eyes will be able to tell you how your essay comes across to the reader. If you haven’t been able to emphasize your arguments, support your claims, or even follow a logical sequence, getting feedback can shed some light on it.

6.  Practice

Regardless of how much help you receive, it will be in vain unless you actually practice the writing yourself. Make sure that wherever lessons you take, you reflect that in your writing as soon as possible. You not only practice writing, but you should also read. Collect the good stories, anecdotes, and quotes you come across anywhere so you can use them in your writing when needed. Writing, no matter whether it is essays, research, or fiction, has to be done with the reader in mind.

As you are reading this article, you are already on the right path to seek help. Accessing academic support will help you understand the expectations of your lecturers and help you become better in your field.

An Integrated Approach to Treating Anxiety

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Dealing with Anxiety

Anxiety is a condition that humanity has struggled with for time untold, and in the modern era, the world has become more aware of it than ever. The everyday stresses of life constantly push employees, students, and people of nearly every occupation and lifestyle into fretting, anxious patterns of thought. And the effects go further than that.

In fact, anxiety has been connected to many different symptoms and health concerns. For instance, while it is clearly related to temporary spikes in blood pressure, the effects of those increases have actually been shown to be as damaging as long-term hypertension, creating the same effect in a fraction of the time. In other words, while anxiety may not directly lead to hypertension, its effects in the short-term are just as harmful to your body. In addition, anxiety has also been shown to be a direct consequence of and emotional reaction to chronic pain, a condition leads tens of millions of Americans to find ways to deal with pain, and many people in the disability community are quite familiar with these approaches.

And yet, anxiety is far too often treated as a secondary illness of little concern or consequence. It’s seen as an issue that can be solved with a simple pep talk or encouragement to “calm down.” As is so often the case in life, though, the best solution for anxiety comes not from one specific panacea, but from a collection of integrated activities and options that work together towards one united solution.

If you struggle to cope with stress, here are a few different ways that you can attempt to address those anxious thoughts, behaviors, and your overall health in order to manage stress.

Understanding Your Mind

While things like anxiety medication and exercise often come to mind when addressing acute mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, the truth is, the process begins in your mind. Facing your anxiety “on its own turf” so to speak, is an excellent way to quickly get to the bottom of what has you so stressed out.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has long been used as an effective tool to diagnose and manage stress and anxiety. Identify warped patterns of thinking that most anxious people — no matter their circumstances, culture, background, or limitations — slip into in one way or another. Things like mental filters, all-or-nothing thinking, and jumping to conclusions all factor into an anxious mindset, and the simple act of being aware of them can help you begin to regain control over your thoughts.

In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, it can be incredibly helpful to take the time to meditate each day. The simple act of slowing yourself down and calming your mind in order to focus on what truly matters can do wonders to increase relaxation, decrease muscle tension, and reduce those anxious thoughts.

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Along with taking care of your mental health, it’s critical that an anxious person takes the time to care for their physical body. Regular exercise is an obvious solution. Even though it can be challenging to work up the motivation to find new methods to exercise, there are many different yet effective options the disability community has explored in order to get some reps in throughout the day. From seated tricep dips to water aerobics and even, if you’re the competitive type, wheelchair sports, there are plenty of opportunities to get your heart rate up.

While physical exercise is key, it’s just as important that you also take the time to regulate your diet in order to keep yourself healthy. Food is typically seen as fuel, but it’s actually much more than that. When properly used, food can serve as medicine in and of itself. For instance, zinc-rich foods like cashews, beef, egg yolks, fatty fish (with Omega-3 fatty acid), kefir, and even pickles have been linked to reduced levels of anxiety. You can also avoid things like processed meat and bleached flours in order to reduce chronic pain — and often, by extension, anxiety symptoms as well.

In summary, how you exercise and what you eat can factor heavily into how you treat your anxiety.

Natural Remedies

Along with a healthy diet and exercise, it’s important to be aware of the many natural remedies for anxiety that don’t necessarily require prescription medicine. Passionflower supplements, for instance, have long been seen as an ancient yet excellent natural anxiety solution. The same goes for other herbal supplements like lavender and chamomile.

Another trending solution is CBD oil. Humans’ endocannabinoid systems have been directly connected to regulating emotions and can affect both anxiety and depression. Evidence is mounting to support the fact that taking CBD oil can have a direct impact on the struggle against anxiety.

Seek Professional Advice

Not all doctors are equal. However, many modern medical professionals are well aware of the power of an integrated approach to dealing with anxiety. Therefore, it can be worth taking the time to seek out professional help in order to make sure you’re taking every possible step towards both the healing of current symptoms as well as future prevention.

As you do so, though, make sure you inquire about their knowledge of mental health in order to vet their methods and beliefs when it comes to using a holistic approach. Roughly 77 million Americans still live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals, and you want to make sure that you find a doctor or nurse practitioner who is both informed and willing to work with you.

A Holistic Solution for Mental Health

As a quick review, some of the best ways to deal with anxiety in a holistic manner include:

  • Implementing cognitive behavioral therapy.
  • Practicing meditation and mindfulness.
  • Eating a healthy diet.
  • Getting exercise regularly.
  • Using natural remedies like herbal supplements or CBD oil.
  • Seeking informed professional advice.

When approached from multiple angles like this, it’s much easier to diagnose, address, and reduce the numerous physical and mental symptoms of anxiety. This, in turn, helps to restore a sense of peace and tranquility to your thoughts, no matter what stressful situations you may find yourself confronted with.

Practicing Yoga to Reduce Stress (Plus a Few Yoga Poses to Try!)

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Before I developed a hiatal hernia, one of my favorite things in the world was yoga. I would carve 30-45 minutes out of my day, 5 days a week, to enjoy a session. I used a Book by Raquel Welch to learn the poses and Raquel opened up the wonderful world of yoga for me.

Not only did I practice yoga in my “carved out” time, I’d also find myself doing the poses wherever I happened to be – in the kitchen while watching the stove, in the yard in between feeding cats and filling bird feeders, while watching old movies… anytime I wanted a great stretch!

Yoga isn’t just enjoyable, it’s extremely relaxing. Plus, learning new things is great for the mind.

While the infographic below is titled, “The Benefits of Yoga for Addiction Recovery” and while it would, I’m sure, be wonderful for those overcoming an addiction, make no mistake about it – yoga is beneficial for everyone.

This infographic was created by Symetria Recovery, an opioid treatment center


Foods to Help Reduce Anxiety: So Many Problems Start in the Gut!

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A number of years ago, my oldest daughter and I both had to give up wheat and gluten entirely, for health reasons. In addition to cutting out certain foods, we also added a great number of healthy foods to our diets. Partly because we needed food to replace all the food we’d now be missing out on, but mostly because when you feel terrible, it serves as a wake up call. Life is a beautiful, beautiful thing and we want to feel our best while enjoying it. For our bodies to perform their best, we have to stop giving them junk and give them good food. Healthy food.

While I wasn’t terribly surprised when the digestive problems cleared up, I was surprised by a few other improvements (more energy, more “give-a-darn,” etc.) Many people, after adopting healthier eating (which, obviously, doesn’t always include having to give up wheat or gluten), rave and rave about the “unexpected” benefits. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read and heard testimonies such as, “Sure, the lost weight is nice, but the best thing is I FEEL better than I have in years. I have my life back!”

Come on, it doesn’t get any better than that.

More and more experts have figured out something that has gone unnoticed for years – there is a direct correlation between what we eat and not only how healthy we are but also HOW WE FEEL. Our emotions, anxieties, moods… they’re all as tied into what we eat as our waistlines.

The gorgeous infographic, below, from Snap Kitchen, tells how different (delicious!) foods can actually help with anxiety. Most people who live with anxiety look for healthy, easy, natural ways to deal and cope. It’s hard to get much healthier, easier, or natural than food. If you’re all too familiar with anxiety, try adding the following foods to your diet.

You may find more benefits than you ever hoped for!

Click for a larger version of the infographic…

Foods to Reduce Anxiety Infographic

Infographic Source: Snap Kitchen


The Fascinating World of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Benefits Beyond Belief!

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Sweet Orange and Eucalyptus Essential Oils

Sweet Orange and Eucalyptus Essential Oils

Admittedly, I can often be “late to the party.” I’ve always blamed this phenomenon on being an only child. When you live in your own little world, sometimes news travels in (and out, at times) slowly.

Truth is, sometimes it trickles in.

Whatever the reasons, people all around me (literally… as in my own family, but more about her in a minute) have been using, loving, and swearing by essential oils for months upon months and I am just now really jumping on board.

Only child or not, a debilitating headache that isn’t responding to either Ibuprofen OR hot showers will leave you searching for relief. Here’s where my essential oil expert daughter comes into play.

My youngest daughter, Stephany, has been a HUGE believer in and user of essential oils and aromatherapy for years, now.  I knew this and appreciated a few of them – such as lavender (my favorite scent) and citrus (very close second). I’ve known the beauty of lavender long before the phrase “essential oils” came into play. However, whenever she talked about peppermint for pain relief or eucalyptus for congestion, I don’t know, I guess I thought, “Well, it clearly works for her, but I’m sure it wouldn’t work for me.”

Then came the headache from the inner circle of hell, and I found myself willing to find out!

Peppermint Essential Oil

I told her about the headache and she gave me a bottle of Peppermint Essential Oil and a “carrier oil.” She uses Jojoba Oil as her “carrier oil.”

What’s a carrier oil? Sounds mysterious, doesn’t it? It is simply an unscented base oil that you add a few drops of essential oil to before applying it. Steph uses Jojoba Oil she buys off of Amazon. I found Avocado Oil at Meijer that I’ve used. Some people use coconut oil – although I’d think the scent would combine with the essential oil’s aroma and be an issue.

Back to the evil headache. I added a few drops of the peppermint essential oil to the Jojoba oil and rubbed it directly on my forehead.  Playing the role of Doubting Thomas, I wasn’t actually expecting much (if any) relief, so I didn’t actually “time” how long it took for relief to come. If I were to guess, however, it was less than five minutes.

The pain literally faded away and a headache that had hounded me for hours was a thing of the past.

She had my undivided attention at this point.

It turns out, Peppermint Essential Oil has a very strong, proven history with alleviating pain. Since the headache experience, I’ve used it on everything from neck tension to leg cramps.

It never lets me down. I have no idea what magic it has up its oily sleeve and, frankly, I don’t care – it brings relief without doubling down on Ibuprofen and that’s all I could ask for.

Avocado Oil Base Oil or Carrier Oil

Recently, while shopping at Meijer and I went to their essential oil section. This essential oil convert loaded up on several – as well as the avocado base or carrier oil.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Fast forward a few months – I came down with my annual cold (he arrives with his nasty attitude every year between January 1 -January 10). Being an “extra” kind of gal, I ALWAYS get bronchitis at the end of my cold. I have no idea if it’s because I have asthma or if I’m just terribly lucky, but without fail – it happens each and every year, dating back to when I was in Elementary School.

I’m nothing if not consistent.

When my chest was insanely congested, I would rub a little Eucalyptus oil (along with the Avocado Oil) directly on my chest. The relief was amazing. However, the BEST way I put the Eucalyptus Oil to work was (naturally at the advice of Steph) by adding a few drops directly on the floor of the shower. While taking a warm shower, the Eucalyptus surrounds you and clears your chest, head, or anything else that might need it!

Essential Oils

 

I’m in the process of giving Self Help Daily a much-needed overhaul – more about that in the next post. I will be adding a great deal of information about essential oils and aromatherapy. In fact, I’ve created a new category for each. There is simply too much natural-healing to be enjoyed and experienced with essential oils to ignore them any longer.

I’m reading and researching like a college student in search of passing grades when it comes to essential oils and I’ll be sharing everything I come across here on the self help blog. I’m excited to see just how many miracles these oils can bring about. (Naturally I’m being very liberal with the word miracles here…. a cured headache has that effect on me.)

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Steph gifted me with more essential oils for Christmas – my beloved lavender, eucalyptus, and one that was very new to me: Sweet Orange Essential Oil. One of the first things I thought of when I saw it was cleaning. I love, love, love cleaning products with a citrus scent. It can be tough to find orange-scented cleaners, though. Sweet Orange Essential Oil makes it easy to add a fresh, feel-good aroma to any cleaning solution. Just add a few drops and you’re good to go.

Having said that, I actually have a different favorite way to use Sweet Orange Essential Oil. I call it my wake-up call. On mornings where it’s particularly hard to get up and get going, I simply sniff my orange essential oil.

And, yes, I realize how weird that may sound.

However, since it never fails to give me the get up and go that I’m lacking, I’ll just keep on sniffing!

Many people report that doing so can also lift your mood. Sweet Orange essential oil has also been linked to a stronger immune system.

Hmm.. maybe that could help me end my annual cold/bronchitis event.

See this page – Sweet Orange Essential Oil – for a great deal of information about this particular oil.

Lavender Aromatherapy Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil and Aromatherapy

Lavender  Oil is another one of my favorites and one that anyone… absolutely anyone… could and would benefit from. It’s all about RELAXATION (sorry for the all caps treatment, but relaxation is something I get excited about).

My favorite way to buy Lavender Oil is in spray bottles. It makes it easier to spray onto your pillows and/or favorite blankets of throws.

Heck, I’ve even sprayed it on my pajamas before.

There’s simply something beautifully relaxing about the scent of lavender. If you’ve never tried it, I hope you will asap. It is magical.

Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Diffusers

Essential Oil Diffusers, like the LiteMist Ultrasonic Diffuser are very popular and for a great reason. They put aromatherapy to work for you, without you having to do much more than pour and plug. A diffuser would be a great way to take advantage of lavender, eucalyptus, and sweet orange essential oils.

Though my favorite way to use eucalyptus oil will always be in the shower. It’s just outrageously effective. Just be sure not to use too much. You’ll feel like you stepped into an alternate universe – one with cough syrup for oxygen.

I’ll be adding a lot more information about essential oils and aromatherapy to the website. I have my face buried in two books at the moment, taking notes like my life depends on it.

~ Joi (“Joy”)

Where to Buy Essential Oils and Carrier or Base Oils:

Many department stores now carry a good selection of essential oils and even carrier oils. However, from my own experience, the best quality oils are found online.

Essential Oils on Amazon

Carrier Oils for Essential Oils on Amazon