Dealing with Stress

Am I stressing out?

When you are experiencing times of excessive stress, you will probably be aware that you are feeling 'not quite right'. However you may be at a loss to explain what you are feeling and why.

Some common symptoms of stress include:

• Irritability
• Tiredness
• Poor concentration
• Poor short-term memory
• Constant mind thoughts
• Lack of tolerance for others (although you may not be able to see this in yourself)
• Anxiousness
• Listlessness
• Prone to bursts of anger and tears
• Feeling depressed, alone, misunderstood
• Withdrawal from others
• Disturbed sleep patterns
• Indigestion, poor appetite
• Increased caffeine/nicotine intake

Acknowledge when you are feeling stressed, then look at coping strategies to help you get through it and move on with your life. Your final year at school cause you some worries but always remember these exams and assessments are only a small portion of your life - they are not the be all and end all.

How can I avoid turning into a stress-ball?

Get plenty of sleep. A tired body wants to sleep but a tired mind never does. Even if the exam is tomorrow and you haven't studied everything, a late night cram session will not make the material sink in any faster and is more likely to cause you to forget or scramble the material you already know. Be reassured by the fact you have more than likely covered all the material in class. Being relaxed will also increase your chances of recalling the information when you need to. Trust your abilities and the effort you put in throughout the school year year, not just the night before.

Make sure you get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

Maintain a healthy diet and avoid alcohol, cigarettes and drugs.

Identify priorities

• What is important and needs to be done NOW?
• What is important but can wait until tomorrow?
• What is unimportant but you cannot avoid doing now?
• What is unimportant and can wait until much later?

Make a list of things you need to do, prioritise in order of importance and check them off as you complete each one. This will not only help you get organised, but provide you with a sense of satisfaction when you see the work you are ploughing through.

Make a timetable of things to do and include all the areas of your life on it: school, homework, study, work commitments, sport, leisure, household responsibilities, meal times, relaxation, television etc.

Take time out to be alone and do the things you really enjoy - playing sport, dancing, playing or listening to music, watching movies etc. Be sure to allocate time for these activities every week and stick to the schedule.

Coping strategies

We all deal with stress in different ways. The methods we use to deal with stress are often called coping strategies - simply because that's exactly what they do - help you cope. Think about the coping strategies that work best for you when you are stressed - what can you do that helps you take hold of a situation again and manage your stress?

Utilise these activities/strategies whenever you feel things are getting 'on top of you' and you need to get away from it all for a while.

When do I need to use coping strategies?

When you are subjected to excessive stress an alarm system is triggered in your body to let you know it is becoming overloaded. Just like an elevator in a building has an alarm to let you know when there is too weight in it, your body sends out warning signals to let you know when it is experiencing too much pressure. Just as you would take action when an elevator becomes overloaded (ie remove some people), you should also be active in reducing the load on your body and nervous system when it becomes stressed.

Some warning signals include feelings of unease or dread along with physical feelings of tension, being 'up-tight', 'jumpy' or 'nervy'.

If you ignore these early alarm signals you may start to experience loss of motivation for study and loss of emotional control. You could be seen as being 'touchy', 'irritable' or ‘teary’.

At this stage you need REST, RELIEF FROM STRESS and more SLEEP. You need to assess the situation and bring your coping strategies into play.

Some common coping strategies

Some of these may work for you…

Treat and nurture yourself

• Rest - take proper breaks from study or get away from the stressful situation for a while
• Use relaxation exercises to de-stress and relax

• Go out and meet friends
• Take a hot bath, shower or have a massage

• Talk about your feelings with a friend, teacher, counsellor or family member
• Write down your feelings
• Have a good cry
• Let off steam (without abusing anyone!) by screaming or shouting into a pillow in private
• Express yourself creatively through such things as poetry, painting, writing, singing, dancing or playing musical instrument.

Distract yourself

• Talk about topics not related to the source of stress
• Help someone else
• Keep your mind and body busy with other activities
• Exercise

Always remember there is no shame in asking for help and advice when you need it. There are many people around you who are willing to assist you: family, friends and teachers as well as trained professionals like counsellors and doctors. Similarly, if you notice a friend seems to be having trouble coping with study/exam pressures, encourage them to talk to you or seek professional help.  

If you can detect early on that you are experiencing overwhelming stress and can take time to employ one or more coping strategies, you have a better chance of bringing your stress back to a manageable level and achieving your ultimate goals.

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