It has been a very long “syllabus week” and by the end of it I have now written a paper, read 10 chapters of various textbooks, and had enough social interaction to make me ready to crawl into bed with a bowl of ice cream and call my mom. My anxiety is through the roof. According to the American College Health Association’s Fall 2018 National College Health Assessment, 63% of college students have experienced extreme anxiety in the last year. That being said, I know I am not the only one who experiences these emotions and everyone has different triggers and responses to their own anxiety. Anxiety is tough and for me it is hard to beat, but recently I have found a method of managing my anxiety and even preventing a few panic attacks: Box Union, a boxing studio in Santa Monica.
https://www.boxunion.com/location/santa-monica/
Box Union is not your normal boxing studio. In a room full of about thirty heavy bags, mirrors, and an enthusiastic coach, we box the combo of the day to the beat of loud music that is sure to give you the energy and entertainment you need to get through an intense 45-minute cardio workout. I came to Box Union inexperienced and quite honestly terrified. But,now it is my favorite thing to do and I have a student membership so I can go three to four times a week. I was welcomed with open arms and told that the best I can give is the best they can ask for. The coaches are supportive, not degrading or condescending, and they want you to improve and be the best version of yourself and it is such a morale boost for an insecure, exhausted, college-student, like me. There is no better feeling than gloving up and releasing all my anger, fears, and sadness, through jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts.
Boxing is not for everyone and I never expected it to be for me, but I am thrilled to have found this place to help me release my struggles and stay healthy both mentally and physically. You can find your own coping mechanism that can also keep you healthy both mentally and physically, whether it’s walking/running, cooking, cycling, you name it! There is something out there for you to use to release your anxieties and keep rocking this life. So, bring on the essays, exams, friendship/relationship issues, insecurities, fears, and more, because I am ready to knock them out!