Samantha Castro

Week One Discussion Board: “One Thing”

Initial Post
Hello everyone! My name is Samantha Castro, and I am in my last year at CSUF and am
working on obtaining my BS in Public Health. Before I disclose my “one thing,” I would like to
point out that it is not a popular choice, and it is not my favorite thing to do; instead, I appreciate
and enjoy the external factors of this process. My “one thing” that helped the most when coping
with the stresses in life due to COVID-19 is doing laundry. The articles I tend to wash most
frequently are my family’s clothes, bedsheets, and towels, which I sort into those categories,
which are further divided into dark and light-colored piles. To properly fit into the washer and
dryer, I may break down the piles even more by separating the heavier articles from the delicate
items. After sorting, I load one pile into the washer and wait for the cycle to finish before
transferring it into the dryer. After the dryer cycle, I take the clean laundry load back to my room
to fold, then organize and return to each family member’s cabinet and repeat this process until I
finish for that given day.

The most important part of this whole process is that I get to watch my TV shows on Netflix and
Hulu while folding laundry! On an everyday basis, unfortunately, I cannot just stop everything I
am doing to relax on the couch and watch TV. I found that this “one thing” allowed me to take a
mental break from the plethora of responsibilities I have being an adult/wife/parent while still
putting in some effort to make sure the household is kept clean and livable. When my
environment is kept clean and tidy, I tend to feel more relieved, less stressed and anxious,
calmer, and proud of my accomplishment and effort in maintaining cleanliness and organization;
especially, with two small children in the house. I learned this decluttering technique as a coping
skill from PUBH 342 stress management course offered at CSUF. Since the start of COVID, my
family is home most of the time, which results in less “me time.” I love my family very much,
and I love spending time with them, but sometimes I need some quiet time for myself. Thanks
for reading my “one thing,” and I look forward to getting to know all of you!

 Key: Introduction and closing statements, disclosure, purpose, process, & personal
thoughts/feelings.