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Managing Stress While You Study � 2005 By Anna Forsyth All Rights Reserved. Printed with Permission What do you think of when you hear the word stress? When we hear this word, we often associate it with negative situations where we felt out of control, or were unable to cope with life, either physically or emotionally. In actual fact, on any given day, everybody experiences stress to varying degrees. The stress that we often think of is where the load that we are carrying begins to affect our ability to cope. Our bodies, minds and emotions are designed to cope with a certain amount of pressure and expectation. I refer to this as "the load". Think of it as a backpack. Take time to think about your life and what sort of load you are carrying now. Does it look more like a small handbag, or possibly an industrial size suitcase? When it comes to being a student, there are often unique pressures that can add to this load. If it becomes unbearable, it could cause the supporting structures underneath to collapse. This can cause burnout, depression or a lack of concentration, among other things. Managing stress is all about learning to know your own limitations and how much you can handle at any given time. Mind, Body and Emotions In looking at ways to manage stress effectively when you are studying, it is important to consider your mind, body and emotions. Anyone who has ever sat through a long exam will know that the mental stress and strain can also have an effect on the body and the emotions. All three facets can experience stress in different ways. The first key to managing stress as a student is to take quick stock of the three areas frequently before a period of stress such as exam time, end of term and other busy periods. Think about ways of reducing the pressure and expectations in one area, to allow for extra load in another. For example, if you normally work out at the gym every day, consider easing up around exam time, to allow your body a rest, while you mentally exert yourself. On the flipside, if you never exercise, perhaps consider adding a jog or two during a study break to give your mind a rest. Different people respond differently to pressures, so it is imperative to listen to your body and be aware of any changes in your emotions or levels of concentration. If you experience negative stress in any of the three areas, here are some simple activities that could help lighten the load during study periods: Mind In your reading time, include something you enjoy that doesn't require a lot of thought such as a fashion magazine, a novel or the funnies section of the paper. In your downtime, do a repetitive task such as vacuuming, ironing or folding laundry. This one has double benefits - a clear mind and a clean room! Allow yourself time to daydream. Look out a window briefly or close your eyes. Think about something other than intense study material, even if it is just for 5 minutes. Vary your study time or material if you find that you are losing concentration or focus. Study another aspect and then come back to the other one later. If you are worrying or stressing about problems or challenges in other areas, write them down. Work out if there is anything you can do immediately to relieve some stress. If not, you might have to let it go for the time being. Vary the way that you study. If you spend a lot of time reading through books or notes, why not spend time getting your roommates to test you or drawing diagrams and mind maps. Learning doesn't always have to be intensely focused. You might even find that you learn better when it isn't. Try a diversion. Instead of spending your rest times in the same room where you study, why not try sitting in the park, going for a walk around the block or visiting a friend. Eat foods such as nuts, fruit and seeds, which will help maintain your energy levels and concentration. Body How is your posture? If you normally slump over your computer, try straightening up and you will feel the difference. Do regular finger, hand and arm stretches to relieve tension as you work. Have a bath or a shower and let your muscles relax. Try easing up on the junk food and have a really good breakfast. This will keep your energy levels constant throughout the day. Change positions every so often. Have regular back and neck stretches Avoid crossing your legs. Check your workstation and make sure that your computer screen is at eye level and your arms are at a 90� angle. Put a phone book under the screen to elevate it if necessary. Try eating small meals throughout the day or grazing. This will help to stabilize your blood sugar and allow you to concentrate for longer periods. Emotions To re-fill your emotional tank, make sure you schedule in leisure time where you do an activity you enjoy such as a sport, spending time with friends or having a nap. If personal problems are weighing on you, make time to talk to someone you can trust such as a counsellor, pastor or friend. Get it all off your chest. Avoid bottling. If you have a tendency to keep your feelings to yourself, it can be harder to deal with pressures when they arise. Grab a pillow when no one is around and have a good cry, scream or punching session. Are you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself? Is the world going to end if you don't exercise, socialise or study this week? If you find yourself highly anxious or worried, try meditation. Find a quiet place and put away any distractions. Isolate the problem or issue that is worrying you and visualise it on a piece of paper. Now scrunch up that paper and mentally throw it in the fire or the trash can. Notice how good it feels? Replace your worries with prayers or positive thoughts and then physically feel yourself let them go. Try re-framing. Sometimes when we are under pressure we lose perspective. Take a step back from the situation and ask yourself, is it really as bad as I think or is there a positive side to this situation? If you are feeling a bit flat, go and see a funny movie, laugh with a friend or help someone in need. These things can do wonders. Aside from the above tips, one of the most fundamental tools that will help you when you are studying is ORGANIZATION. It is amazing how much stress can be relieved, simply by thinking ahead. Keep a diary and use it often. Make that phone call, or fill in that form now to save worrying about it later. You will be surprised at how you will feel if you just took a little bit of time each day to organise your day, week, month or year. There is such a wide range of planners available these days that show a week at a time, a whole day or even year planners for your wall. Scope out the stationery shop and make use of different planning templates that your school might provide. If you have tried every trick in the book, but you still feel like the pressure is getting to you, take off your invisible backpack, layout the contents and ask yourself, "Do I really need to carry this?" *** Anna-Kaye Forsyth** is a freelance writer for education, and a content developer for interactive whiteboard company Smart Board in New Zealand. She holds a Batchelor of Music Education from the University of Auckland. Anna is the author of 3 compilations of thinking hats lesson plans for teachers, which are due for release soon through Curriculum Concepts. Currently, Anna is working freelance to support herself as she pursues a career as a singer/songwriter.
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Copyright © 2008 \| Find Schools Online \| All Rights Reserved


find schools home \| choosing the right school \| resources \| sitemap
find schools by: name \| degree \| location: USA - Zip Code \| Canada \| UK

Managing Stress While You Study � 2005 By Anna Forsyth All Rights Reserved. Printed with Permission What do you think of when you hear the word stress? When we hear this word, we often associate it with negative situations where we felt out of control, or were unable to cope with life, either physically or emotionally. In actual fact, on any given day, everybody experiences stress to varying degrees. The stress that we often think of is where the load that we are carrying begins to affect our ability to cope. Our bodies, minds and emotions are designed to cope with a certain amount of pressure and expectation. I refer to this as "the load". Think of it as a backpack. Take time to think about your life and what sort of load you are carrying now. Does it look more like a small handbag, or possibly an industrial size suitcase? When it comes to being a student, there are often unique pressures that can add to this load. If it becomes unbearable, it could cause the supporting structures underneath to collapse. This can cause burnout, depression or a lack of concentration, among other things. Managing stress is all about learning to know your own limitations and how much you can handle at any given time. Mind, Body and Emotions In looking at ways to manage stress effectively when you are studying, it is important to consider your mind, body and emotions. Anyone who has ever sat through a long exam will know that the mental stress and strain can also have an effect on the body and the emotions. All three facets can experience stress in different ways. The first key to managing stress as a student is to take quick stock of the three areas frequently before a period of stress such as exam time, end of term and other busy periods. Think about ways of reducing the pressure and expectations in one area, to allow for extra load in another. For example, if you normally work out at the gym every day, consider easing up around exam time, to allow your body a rest, while you mentally exert yourself. On the flipside, if you never exercise, perhaps consider adding a jog or two during a study break to give your mind a rest. Different people respond differently to pressures, so it is imperative to listen to your body and be aware of any changes in your emotions or levels of concentration. If you experience negative stress in any of the three areas, here are some simple activities that could help lighten the load during study periods: Mind In your reading time, include something you enjoy that doesn't require a lot of thought such as a fashion magazine, a novel or the funnies section of the paper. In your downtime, do a repetitive task such as vacuuming, ironing or folding laundry. This one has double benefits - a clear mind and a clean room! Allow yourself time to daydream. Look out a window briefly or close your eyes. Think about something other than intense study material, even if it is just for 5 minutes. Vary your study time or material if you find that you are losing concentration or focus. Study another aspect and then come back to the other one later. If you are worrying or stressing about problems or challenges in other areas, write them down. Work out if there is anything you can do immediately to relieve some stress. If not, you might have to let it go for the time being. Vary the way that you study. If you spend a lot of time reading through books or notes, why not spend time getting your roommates to test you or drawing diagrams and mind maps. Learning doesn't always have to be intensely focused. You might even find that you learn better when it isn't. Try a diversion. Instead of spending your rest times in the same room where you study, why not try sitting in the park, going for a walk around the block or visiting a friend. Eat foods such as nuts, fruit and seeds, which will help maintain your energy levels and concentration. Body How is your posture? If you normally slump over your computer, try straightening up and you will feel the difference. Do regular finger, hand and arm stretches to relieve tension as you work. Have a bath or a shower and let your muscles relax. Try easing up on the junk food and have a really good breakfast. This will keep your energy levels constant throughout the day. Change positions every so often. Have regular back and neck stretches Avoid crossing your legs. Check your workstation and make sure that your computer screen is at eye level and your arms are at a 90� angle. Put a phone book under the screen to elevate it if necessary. Try eating small meals throughout the day or grazing. This will help to stabilize your blood sugar and allow you to concentrate for longer periods. Emotions To re-fill your emotional tank, make sure you schedule in leisure time where you do an activity you enjoy such as a sport, spending time with friends or having a nap. If personal problems are weighing on you, make time to talk to someone you can trust such as a counsellor, pastor or friend. Get it all off your chest. Avoid bottling. If you have a tendency to keep your feelings to yourself, it can be harder to deal with pressures when they arise. Grab a pillow when no one is around and have a good cry, scream or punching session. Are you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself? Is the world going to end if you don't exercise, socialise or study this week? If you find yourself highly anxious or worried, try meditation. Find a quiet place and put away any distractions. Isolate the problem or issue that is worrying you and visualise it on a piece of paper. Now scrunch up that paper and mentally throw it in the fire or the trash can. Notice how good it feels? Replace your worries with prayers or positive thoughts and then physically feel yourself let them go. Try re-framing. Sometimes when we are under pressure we lose perspective. Take a step back from the situation and ask yourself, is it really as bad as I think or is there a positive side to this situation? If you are feeling a bit flat, go and see a funny movie, laugh with a friend or help someone in need. These things can do wonders. Aside from the above tips, one of the most fundamental tools that will help you when you are studying is ORGANIZATION. It is amazing how much stress can be relieved, simply by thinking ahead. Keep a diary and use it often. Make that phone call, or fill in that form now to save worrying about it later. You will be surprised at how you will feel if you just took a little bit of time each day to organise your day, week, month or year. There is such a wide range of planners available these days that show a week at a time, a whole day or even year planners for your wall. Scope out the stationery shop and make use of different planning templates that your school might provide. If you have tried every trick in the book, but you still feel like the pressure is getting to you, take off your invisible backpack, layout the contents and ask yourself, "Do I really need to carry this?" *** Anna-Kaye Forsyth** is a freelance writer for education, and a content developer for interactive whiteboard company Smart Board in New Zealand. She holds a Batchelor of Music Education from the University of Auckland. Anna is the author of 3 compilations of thinking hats lesson plans for teachers, which are due for release soon through Curriculum Concepts. Currently, Anna is working freelance to support herself as she pursues a career as a singer/songwriter.
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find schools home \| choosing the right school \| contact us \| resources \| sitemap
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Copyright © 2008 \| Find Schools Online \| All Rights Reserved