![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
Staying Healthy with Saloni: The ups and downs of stress
October 17, 2018
Dear Eagles,
I look around my family room, and everyone seems stressed. My dad recently received a promotion at work, yet he seems more stressed. My mom is stressed because her dad – my grandfather in Mumbai, India is not well, and his health has taken a bad turn. And I am a high school sophomore trying to balance my academics and extracurricular activities, juggling to be the best at everything I do, so I must be stressed.
We ignore that there is stress in daily life which has positive connotation – there is good stress, like receiving a promotion and doing well in school. But these positive stresses are not the same as my mother feeling concerned for my sick grandfather.
There is distinction between the negative variety of stress termed distress, which often connotes disease, and eustress, which often connotes euphoria. Even though eustress inflicts less harm upon the body, the body responds to the negative stimuli acting upon it in the same way for eustress and distress.
Sometimes it’s hard to find, find my way up into the clouds. Tune it out, they can be so loud… Just keep breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ I know I gotta keep, I keep on breathin’. — Ariana Grande
Cortisol, our body’s stress hormone, spikes up with stress. It is usually higher in the morning than at night. A breakfast rich in protein, ideally between 25-30 grams, helps to normalize the cortisol levels.
As a response to stress, cortisol secretion increases in the body. We can manage both good or bad stress with stress management techniques to stay healthy and well. My father achieves this by diligently working out in the gym, whereas my mother focuses on yoga and nutrition.
Studies have shown that owning a pet can reduce stress and improve your health — unfortunately, I have lost this argument with my mother, who is morbidly afraid of dogs. So, I have to find other ways to control stress.
Unplugging myself from stressful situations and stepping out for a breath of fresh air always seems to calm me down. I also listen to music to alleviate my stress. From the notes of Travis Scott to Kygo to Ed Sheeran, music elevates my spirit and relaxes my mind. Research confirms the power of music on relaxation and stress management.
I recently added Ariana Grande’s song “breathin” from her new album, “Sweetener”, to my collection. The song is about anxiety and panic attacks and breathing when you think you can’t. The lyrics of the song are powerful and can have a healing power on people who face such feelings of anxiety.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find, find my way up into the clouds. Tune it out, they can be so loud… Just keep breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ I know I gotta keep, I keep on breathin’.”
In health and wellness,
Saloni Shah
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on Oct. 17, 2018.
