While we are at midterms, most college students here at Ferris, like me, must be feeling the stress of college life. With the semester nearing its end, classes are going to be tougher and stress levels higher.
With the struggle of keeping your grades up, maintaining your social life and honestly just staying mentally healthy, even the healthiest of individuals can be under tremendous levels of stress.
The question then becomes how we, as college students, are supposed to maintain our mental health and fight the effects of burnout when dealing with the stress that comes from college life.
Some people hit the gym, some people hang out with friends and some watch movies. These are all ways to deal with stress, but in my opinion, the best way to handle stress would be combat sports.
Boxing is my way of dealing with all the stress and negative emotions that I deal with daily so that I can maintain a positive attitude.
For those two hours that I am training, nothing else matters. Not my classes, not whatever bill I’m stressing about paying. Not even people can bother me, because for those two hours, I am truly free.
Some of you reading this are probably thinking, “Is this guy crazy? Boxing is a dangerous sport!” Quite frankly, the university would probably agree with you. I argue that science has shown the various benefits of boxing.
According to a study conducted by ESPN, made up of sports scientists, athletes and nutritionists, boxing is considered the most challenging sport to master, and boxers are some of the best-conditioned athletes.
Furthermore, according to a study done by Harvard University, they concluded that boxing is a great aerobic exercise. The study also went on to state that boxing builds strength, that it is great for releasing endorphins to the rest of the body, and that boxing could be associated with improving positive functions in your brain.
Many college students do things that have negative effects on their brains. Spending even half an hour a day working on the heavy bag can reduce the effects.
I don’t care how stressed I was before I entered the ring or how angry I was. The minute I step out of the ring, I have a wave of relief wash over me and I feel renewed.
It feels like I had toxins dumped from my body. This semester has been especially challenging for me as a student and as a person. Boxing is the greatest skill and coping mechanism that I have that makes the hardship of both school and life extremely bearable.
I am not the only one who argues that boxing or any combat sport can be very relaxing. If you were to ask any guy in my gym what they do to stay in shape or to keep their mind healthy, they would likely tell you that they box.
Outside of the many positive aspects of boxing, another thing to consider is how boxing can help with your self-confidence and internal thoughts. If anyone is dealing with a lot of stress this semester and is looking for a healthy outlet, then I encourage you to either learn how to box for stress or take up boxing as a hobby. I promise you boxing will give you an interesting life.