I think this is a simple metaphor that everyone needs to take into consideration. Everyone including, students, counselors, professionals, and future clients.

Many helpers want to do wahtever they can to help their clients, but taking on a littel stress from everyone is going to transform into a paralyzing amount of stress for one. We need to ba cautious of how susceptable we are to taking on others stresses, and holding onto our own. Let them go, stressors aren't going to change overnight, or by stressing about them for a couple of hours.

This supports the concept of "self-care" that is reiterated to us, as students. If we can learn proper self-care as students it is going to have long term benefits to us as professionals, on top of enjoying every day life a little more.

I find this metaphor is useful for enduring periods of hardship, or otherwise states of negative emotions. The lesson conveyed through this metaphor illustrates the individual capacity to control their handling of conflict, which ultimately determines its significance to the person. Stress has the tendency to narrow an individual’s focus to the here-and-now, thereby inflating the value of feelings and thoughts in the present, as well as short-term consequences. For students, and people working under time constraints more broadly, using the principles that underpin existentialism provide immense help for dealing with situations that narrow one’s focus to the present. Frankl proposed life is rife with suffering, and that accepting this condition of living was essential for prevailing against the negative forces of human nature. When finals are nearing, students tend to view the upcoming period as do-or-die. But it is important to remind yourself that finals are only one of the umpteen stressful periods you will find yourself in throughout life. That is, all periods marked by stress are temporary, and once you accept its short-lived status, you’ll be in a better position to shoulder the demands of the circumstances with a finish line in mind. 

Hey Miranda,

Like those before me on this post, I too agree that the weight of minor things can add up if you keep holding them. Stressors are an everyday part of our lives and we as individuals must find a way to manage this kind of stress. I do find that school is a stressor that I struggle with. I find that when a due date is coming up, if I partake in anything other than working on that project or studying I will feel guilty for doing so. Trying to find ways to get over this can be challenging. Often after completing a large project I will take time to myself. For example, after working very hard on my case study paper, I took 5 days off where I didn't do any school work at all. Instead, I travelled to Vancouver Island, did a massive hike (27 km), and explored around. Giving this freedom and sense to explore can really change the outlook on a person and give revitalized strength to deal with future oncoming stressors.