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“Can anyone define ‘stress’ for me?” the health teacher asked.
Amanda’s hand shot up first. “A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that can cause tension in the mind or body.”
“Like talking to a textbook,” the health teacher chuckled. “Yes, stress is that feeling of tension you get that’s caused by certain triggers. Tell me some things that might stress out an average teenager.”
“Upcoming tests!” Melissa said.
“A first date?” Zack suggested.
“Unaligned chakras,” Mort said. Some of Mort’s classmates snickered a bit, though most understood how an unaligned chakra would stress him out.
“Very good. Other stressors might be an abrupt change to your daily life or a significant event happening. These things that cause stress can be big or small or even in-between. The key is these are different and new experiences that we have little control over or may be perceived as a threat to ourselves. Now, when these pressures happen, your body responds with actions that cause that tense feeling we all know. Your body produces a hormone that triggers your fight or flight response, something we’ve had for thousands of years that helps us respond to threatening situations.”
“Wasn’t that usually used to escape danger and stuff? Like saber-tooth tigers?” Milo asked.
“Among other things, yes,” the health teacher confirmed. “We may not have to worry about saber-tooth tigers around here—unless you’re Milo, that is—but we do encounter things that causes our bodies and minds to react. Short bouts of stress at random times are actually healthy and can help you push through pain or fear. Long-term, consistent stress can really hurt you.”
“Isn’t this just a case of mind over matter?” Bradley asked. “All that stress is in your head, right? It can’t affect the rest of you.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not true,” the health teacher explained. “Emotionally, a stressed person may feel overwhelmed, irritable, depressed, or even angry and aggressive. Physically, stress can cause indigestion and nausea, headaches, and even more serious reactions like hyperventilating or heart palpitations. It could be something as small as that feeling of having butterflies in your stomach or as big as having a panic attack. When you suffer from stress long-term, this can lead to health problems down the road.
“On a more positive note, there are plenty of ways to cope with stress or reduce high amounts of it. Let’s get a couple volunteers: how do you handle feeling stressed out?”
“I like to watch funny movies or clips from my favorite plays,” Lydia said. “A good laugh always relieves my tension.”
“Mort has led me through a couple meditation things that were surprisingly helpful,” Chad said.
“I like to get some exercise. Ride my bike and stuff,” Zack said.
“Excellent! Other coping methods include healthy diet and taking a ‘time out’ where you practice self-care. A good support system is also key here. Sometimes, you can’t handle the stress on your own, and that’s okay.”
“Is it true that animals can relieve stress?” Amanda asked.
“Yes, indeed. Spending time with your pets or another animal you like increases dopamine in your brain, making you less depressed,” the health teacher said. “Some scientists theorize that the vibrations from a cat’s purr can reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. For the rest of class, I want you guys to start on this worksheet which can be completed with your textbook. Next week, we’ll begin on a project where you show or teach us a coping method for stress. You can work alone or in pairs or in groups, especially if there are multiple people with the same idea.”
After class, Milo, Melissa, and Zack walked together to lunch and discussed the upcoming project.
“I think I’ll see if I can bring in Diogee. It’ll be the first time I don’t have to tell him ‘go home,’” Milo said.
“Well, if anyone knows how to handle stress, it’s you,” Melissa said.
“You think so?” Milo asked.
“Come on, Milo. You deal with Murphy’s Law every day. It must be the most stressful part of your life,” Zack pointed out. He managed to catch Milo when the boy slipped in some water.
“No, I don’t think so,” Milo said as they found a table to sit at and pulled out their lunch bags. “There are lots more things to be stressed out about. Like college and stuff.”
“College is, like, five years away. We got time for that,” Melissa said. “But Murphy’s Law is an everyday thing. That plus all the other stuff teenagers worry about like schoolwork and crushes and raging hormones must really take its toll.”
“You guys hang out with me often. Does Murphy’s Law stress you out?” Milo asked.
“Sure. Flight or fight response and all that,” Zack said. “But we’re always with you when it happens, so I’m not nearly as worried as I used to be.”
“Really?” Melissa raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, I scream significantly less than I used to!” Zack insisted.
“In all seriousness, Milo, are you saying that just having Diogee around is enough to keep you calm?” Melissa asked. “Your mental health is important, you know.”
“I appreciate it, guys, but I’m fine!” Milo assured. “I have excellent mental health!”
Given Milo’s consistent optimism, that was easy for Melissa and Zack to believe. Still, throughout the day, they checked in on Milo when Murphy’s Law would strike. Each time, Milo had that happy smile and tackled the problems with ease. Melissa, being Milo’s friend longer, could tell a fake smile from a genuine one. When Zack was afraid Milo tried to use a smile as a mask, Melissa assured him that Milo was just being Milo. By the end of the day, Melissa and Zack silently agreed that Milo did indeed have good mental health. In fact, he didn’t seem stressed at all.
“You are an enigma, buddy,” Zack chuckled.
“Anybody up for Slushy Dawg?” Melissa offered as they left the school. “I’m craving French fries.”
“I’m in,” Zack said.
“You guys go on without me,” Milo said. “Dad’s picking me up for an appointment.”
Melissa and Zack bid Milo goodbye, leaving him to wait outside the school for his dad to arrive. When he did, Milo helped to clean and replace the oil that leaked from the bottom of the car. Then Murphy father and son were off to their appointment. Milo talked about his day and the project for his health class. Three red lights and one instance of a sputtering engine later, Martin pulled into a parking spot at an animal shelter.
“Just in time, guys!” one of the workers at the desk greeted as Martin and Milo walked in. “We’re just about to let the dogs out for playtime. After that, the cats will be looking for their cuddle time.”
“Awesome! I brought some new toys to replace the ones from last time,” Milo said.
A couple staff members led Martin and Milo into the yard, and then the stampede of dogs came looking for a game. Milo tossed out a variety of toys—balls, frisbees, tug-of-war ropes—and spent the next hour playing with almost all the dogs who eagerly ran up to him. Martin did the same, also splitting his time between playing with the dogs and cleaning up after Murphy’s Law. The staff were accustomed to Martin and Milo’s monthly visits; so much so that when Martin asked if they had a semi-specific tool on hand, they would have it because of something that happened in the previous months.
After an hour of running with dogs in the grass, Martin and Milo went to the cat socializing room at the shelter.
“Not too many familiar faces today!” Milo cheered.
“Catrina out front said they had a lot of adoptions recently,” Martin confirmed, thankful that the Tri-State Area only had no-kill shelters.
Milo chose a comfy spot on the floor and picked up a cat toy to play with a couple teenage kittens. Martin settled in a cushy chair and two older cats immediately hopped into his lap.
After a few minutes of cuddle-time, Martin started the conversation. “How was the month?”
“Typical stuff,” Milo said. “But I did also get yelled at by some random lady at the grocery store. Mark the clerk stood up for me, though, so that was nice.”
“That’s good. But you should be telling me and Mom about that stuff. How long ago was this?” Martin asked.
“Just last week. I’ll tell you next time.”
“Hopefully, there won’t be a next time. What else went on this month?”
“The biggest thing I was freaking out about was an essay we had to write in English class. It had to be three whole pages! We could choose whatever topic we wanted, but then I got stuck trying to choose a topic. Plus, we needed to have three sources of information, so I was trying to figure out what I could write about that had three sources that didn’t include Wackopedia. You know, that website that has information on just about anything but teachers don’t like us using it for sources. I think it’s because just about anyone can edit those pages, so you don’t know if the information is accurate.”
“That’s fair. What did you end up writing about?”
“I wrote about the evolution of the backpack! From the early days of the rucksack to what I have today.”
“Excellent! I bet that was interesting.”
“Yeah, but I can’t imagine carrying a bindle on a stick instead of my backpack. Especially this one. And, apart from that, it’s been a normal month. Everyone other stressful thing from school only lasted a day, and it’s been normal stuff like projects and tests and stuff. Your turn!”
“Boy, let me tell you about that day I came home from work drenched and covered in burns. I had four different sites to visit for safety inspections. Two of them were just fine. One of them was a surprise inspection, so there were a couple things they really had to improve on. But the last one. Oh boy, that stupid would-be pie shop on Fleet Street. So few things were up to code in the first place. The ovens short-circuited and set the refrigerators on fire! But, of course, the sprinklers weren’t working, so I had to help them put the fire out with an expired fire extinguisher, and that’s what caused the burns. Once the fire was out, then the sprinklers came on and drenched everybody. The place was shut down. I think it’s a barbershop now.”
“Wow, that sounds crazy! Glad you weren’t more seriously hurt, though.”
“Physical injuries are nothing to me anymore. A few weeks ago, there were talks going around about budget cuts. Thankfully, someone realized the entire budget was being miscalculated due to a simple misplaced comma.”
“If we needed some extra money, I could pick up a weekend job.”
“You’re too young, Milo. Most kids get part-time jobs when they’re in high school. Besides that, Mom and I want you and Sara to focus on school for now. You never need to worry about money stuff.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll save that for when I’m grown up like you.”
Martin chuckled and tousled his son’s hair. “I may be an adult, but I don’t always feel like one.”
“But you always seem to have everything together and figured out,” Milo said.
“I’m glad I seem that way. Sometimes, I feel like there a lot of things out of my control; or I’m losing control of the things I should be able to handle,” Martin admitted. “That’s why I’m glad we do our monthly check-ins.”
“Me, too,” Milo said. “It’s easier to talk about Murphy’s Law stuff with you. Mom and Sara and my friends understand what Murphy’s Law is, but you’re the only one who gets it, you know? You and Grandpa and Uncle Joe.”
Martin nodded with a somewhat tired smile. “Yeah, I know.”
They spent another hour talking and playing with the cats before it was time to go home. They said goodbye to the receptionist on the way out.
“Same time next month?” the receptionist guessed.
“Yeah!” Milo cheered.
“Count on it,” Martin agreed. He put an arm around Milo’s shoulders and gave his son a hug as they walked to the car. Both of them agreed they felt refreshed and ready to handle another month’s worth of stressful things.