At least at some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced stress. We feel stressed when there’s a number of things we need to get done: unit exams, projects, presentations, labs, quizzes, assignments, etc. And if you’re in Grade 12, there’s all the more stress that comes with applying for university and deciding what you want to do in the next few years to come. On top of that, if you’re in Grade 12 and in IB… well, you most definitely need to continue reading. Unless of course, you’re that perfect ideal child who manages time efficiently and have time to spare… well, I salute you and your unique capability to do so.
A lot of times, when we find ourselves stressing, we aren’t sure how to deal with it. It interferes with our concentration, we feel unstable, and we waste time worrying. So I’ve asked a number of students (both IB and non-IB!) how they manage stress and the following are the top 10 most popular answers.
1) Sleep or lie down
There are people who can apparently “sleep” on a question and wake up with an answer. I don’t know if that’s really true, but sleeping does help clear and refresh the mind. Sometimes there are too many things going on in our heads, we need to give our brains a break. Yes, we want to get things done quickly, if not on time, but it’s important that you’re in a calm state of mind when doing work. It’s also not good trying to finish your homework when you’ve only had 5-7 hours of sleep and your brain is ready to shut down any second.
2) Organize and prep
School-related stress is often a result of feeling unprepared. And there’s nothing comparable to the feeling you get when walking into a test you feel totally ready for. Try organizing yourself; make up a study schedule, tidy up your binders, use colour coding, and prioritize. It’ll help you feel like you can manage your work so you won’t end up panicking.
3) Eat
Eating does help us deal with emotional instability (hence the pig-outs girls have after a heartbreak). It takes our mind off things that make us stressed in the first place, even if it’s temporary. It provides a sort of comfort in times of vulnerability. But don’t completely stuff your face with junk food – it does have negative consequences. Consuming too much sugar and fats can reduce physical endurance, reduce your ability to think critically and make you feel tired.
4) Listen to or play music
Whether you play it or listen to it, music acts as a sort of escape for us. It helps us take our mind off troubles and soothes us. If you play an instrument, play it! And if you have a favorite band or artist, listen to them! Maybe you’ll want to break out and dance to it, which will help you relieve some of the stress.
5) Accept it
There were quiet some variance in the answers for this category but in general, there are three ways to approach this method: convince yourself you’re not stressed, tell yourself that whatever is causing you stress will be over soon or accept that you’ve done all that you could. Convincing yourself that you’re not stressed isn’t easy. But try to think of your work as something you do out of interest, not something you do because you have to- it should help minimize the burden you feel.
6) Surf the web or watch TV
Browse the Internet or watch Ringer, How I Met Your Mother, House or whatever it is you watch. It’ll give you some laughs and relieve some stress. But I don’t personally recommend you do this because if you mysteriously find yourself on Facebook or on any social networking site… you’re in trouble. Or if you start watching something you know you can get easily addicted to, I don’t recommend you do this first when you’re stressed.
7) Chat or hang out with friends
Remember that you are not alone! Most people get stressed because of school, so why not help each other out? Talk to friends, relieve the stress, share the burden and let out your anger that way. It’s kind of nice to know that you aren’t the only one feeling sluggish.
8 ) Bake
Or play soccer or do some push-ups or paint- whatever you like to do in your free time. If it’s a hobby of yours, the better. When we do something we enjoy, one of the reasons for that being is because we feel like we’re good at it, right? This helps with reducing the feeling of incompetency, and it also takes your mind off work for a little while.
9) Read
Similar to music, reading a book can help you escape your current situation. Maybe read a fantasy and place yourself in medieval times or maybe read a cheesy romance- whatever floats your boat. For me, I tend to get addicted and usually don’t even put the book down until I’m done up to a certain point. But if reading helps you with temporarily distracting yourself from pressure, go for it.
10) Play games
How good it is to relieve your stress, anger and frustration by playing bloody gruesome games and pretend you’re shooting Physics, or English. Counter- strike, LoL, Assassin’s Creed, Skyrim, Battlefield, or whatever you play, just make sure you aren’t playing for hours on end.
For “Keep Calm And…” photos, click here.
Happy studying!