How to manage a stressful semester?

“I am struggling to balance two heavy courses, what should I do?

School can be stressful, and especially due to the ongoing pandemic, there’s a lot of pressure for students to learn and adapt to new schedules. As a junior in high school, I can completely relate with you. Here are some of the best pieces of real advice and tips I recommend:

1. RELAX

It is completely understandable when you first hear this advice it might sound totally bizarre! But there is a lot of scientific evidence proving that when one’s mind is relaxed, they tend to perform better and more accurately. According to Robert Puff who has a Ph.D. in psychology, he believes that relaxing one’s mind can prevent brain cells from dying, improve concentration levels, and make the brain larger. Also, a research conducted by Dr. Herbert Benson from Harvard Medical School proves that meditation and relaxation increase alpha activity in the brain, bettering our academic performances.

BEST TIPS:

• DRINK TEA

Herbal teas are known for their calming effects for many centuries. If meditation is not your cup of tea, you can just make yourself a new one! You can take a ten min break while just enjoying your tea.

Personal Favorites:

• Chamomile Tea

• Mint Tea

• Rooibos Tea (with rose pedals)

• TAKE A NAP

As someone who is in contact with technology all day, I personally love a good thirty minute nap. Did you know that according to the MAYO Clinic, napping has the ability to improve your awareness and increase your performance levels?

• MEDITATE

This one is an obvious choice, but it is equally important as the other two! Meditation is known for its ability to reduce stress and improve memory. Meditation doesn’t have to be long or fancy; you can mediate in between studies! When you feel stressed just close your eyes for 3 - 5 mins and take a few deep breaths. Power up to start again. You got this!

1. LIMIT YOUR TIME PROCRASTINATING

This advice may seem a little challenging and trust me it is! If you struggle with procrastination, you are not alone. I too struggle with this all the time; but self-improvement requires self-discipline. To stress less about your time, you’ve got to start saving it.

BEST TIPS:

• SET SCREEN TIME LIMIT ON YOUR PHONE/ DEVICES

Knowing when you should or should not be using your device(s) is an effective way of starting a routine; screen-time limitations are a great way of getting used to making the most of your time.

• STUDY WITH A TIMER ON

If you have a hard time focusing on your work, you can start a timer for an hour, and in that period your only objective is to study. Once that timer goes off, you can take a ten to fifteen-minute break.

• DO NOT EAT SWEETS WHILE STUDYING

According to Dr. Minesh Amin, “The more sugar you eat, the sleepier you will feel.” When you feel tired and sleepy, you often resort to going back to your phone for a small ‘break.’ While studying, you want to be awake and alert, so it is conventional to avoid sweets; instead, grab something that gives you energy, like an apple.

• BEFORE YOU START STUDYING, PLAN OUT YOUR DAY

This may sound like your typical advice but trust me it works. Planning your day first thing in the morning would really give you a sense of direction of where you are heading, and what you have to achieve. Do not let the work discourage you; rather, let it motivate you. Set a good mindset from the morning so you can carry it out throughout the day.

1. STAY MOTIVATED

Unlike the previous two pieces of advice, this advice may seem vague, but it is essential. When you’re studying, try to think of the purpose as to why you are studying. Why you are working so hard? Why you want to succeed?

That purpose is going to be your driving force. When you feel like doing nothing, or when you are wasting your time, you have this goal at the back of your mind pushing you to stand up and work harder. You need that motivation.

Everyone has a different driving force based on their own stories. You do not have to look for something fancy. Try giving your experiences a meaning, and then look back and reflect on them.

BEST TIPS:

• FIND A PASSION

Have a clear goal in your mind of what you want in your life.

• ACTIVATION

Start incorporating activities in your daily routines that would aid you to achieve

your goals.

• PERSISTENCE

Be consistent with your goals regardless of the obstacles you may face.

• INTENSITY

Try to increase the amount of effort you put into your goals after a certain amount of time.

My final piece of advice to you as a fellow student is to work hard and be honest. There’s no easy way out. The three tips serve the purpose of guidance from my personal experiences, but the rest is up to you. I hope the best for you!

“The first step is to establish that something is possible; then the probability will occur” - Elon Musk

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References

How to get a great nap. (2018, November 20). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/napping/art-20048319

Puff, R. (2013, September 15). Meditation Can Make You Smarter (and Happier). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/meditation-modern-life/201309/meditation-can-make-you-smarter-and-happier

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Responder: Bansari Shah