STRESS MANAGEMENT

STRESS MANAGEMENT

 “Stress is a physical and psychological

reaction to issues and events

emanating from one’s environment.”

For all that talk of school being the “best time in your life”, one of the most difficult results of school is simple school stress. Of course, school stress is not only brought on by classes, homework, papers to write, problems to solve, and the persistent need to keep up with reading. It is also brought on by the often taxing work of keeping up with friends, keeping up with life, keeping the parents happy, and rather onerous task of simply being young

and trying to figure out what the heck you are going to do with the next, oh, 40 to 50 years of your life. Thus, it may very well be the best time in your life, but it is also one of the worst.

All stress isn’t bad. Stress can initiate change, help us focus on the task at hand, and in some cases even save our lives. Yet, when stress builds up, it can result in the opposites— and cause us to spin our wheels, keep us from concentrating, and cause bodily injury and even loss of life.              

The first tip in managing stress is to recognize your stressors. The next step is to put each of them in their place. The following stress management tips, based on some old and some new adages, can help you do just that!

1.Watch out for signs of stress overload: Symptoms of too much stress can be physical, emotional, mental and behavioral. While everyone is different, some common signs are: memory problems, trouble concentrating, racing thoughts, irritability, anger, sadness, headaches, frequent colds and changes in sleep or appetite.

2.Using time management techniques: Student life is all about learning how to achieve a balance between studies and other activities. If you want to do well at school, you have to devote time to your studies. Although there are no easy ways to go about this, it helps to plan in advance and schedule time for study. You will soon find a method that works for you.

3.Organization techniques: There will be a number of things you will need to file, such as notes, assignments, submission dates and examination times. Keep a calendar or a notebook or whatever method works for you – but keep organized. Know what you have to do and when, so you don’t get behind at schoolwork.

4.Create a study environment: Ideally, you should choose a place that is quiet and free from distractions. Try not to study on your bed because you will tend to fall asleep even if you don’t intend to. A desk with good lighting works well for most people. If you have trouble getting in the mood, try dividing the task into small chunks and rewarding yourself after each is complete.

5.Memorization techniques: These can help you remember parts of your work that would otherwise be forgotten as soon as you did something else. Revising and reading over the previous class notes and assignments for five minutes before you start your work every day can also help you remember.

6.Be an Optimist: Do not let the little failures get you down. There will always be a time when you aren’t able to do too well on a particular test, or find yourself unable to be as good at one thing as you are at another. Recognise these as a necessary part of life and try not to make a big deal out of them. If you are cheerful, you will naturally feel better and less stressed.

7. Sleep Well: This is important, as many students today think they can get away with sleeping less. While this may be alright for one night, as a regular schedule it disturbs your health and sleep cycle. You will find it harder to concentrate and end up feeling more frustrated and stressed out about schoolwork.

8. Study Techniques: The conventional method of study may not work as well for you. If you remember and understand things better by experiments rather than reading about them in books, you should do these as much as possible. Remember, there is no one ‘correct’ way of studying.

9.Reach out:If you’re stressed out, talk to your friends and family. If you feel like you can’t handle the stress on your own, schedule an appointment with a counselor on campus

10. Be realistic: Pulling yourself in different directions will only stress you out, so try not to over-commit yourself or do extracurricular activities when you’re super busy with school.