Dealing With Stress
By Shai Lagarde
School has barely started, yet somehow it feels as if it’s been going on for so long now. That five-page Biology research paper is due in two weeks, there’s the weekly Math quiz, and the daily track team practice. And that’s just for school. Your mom has just announced an out-of-town trip to your grandparents, on the same day you promised to help out with your friend’s birthday party!
Amidst all the things we’re forced to juggle in our lives, we can’t help but feel stressed out. Yes, things can get so crazy that it feels like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. So how do we deal with all the pressure?
It would help to keep in mind that stress is something everybody goes through. A few months ago, I was feeling miserable myself. I was so swamped with work, being editor of the school paper and belonging to many other clubs. I hardly had time for family, friends, or fun.
I tried the things some people suggested, like guzzling down bottles of energy drink, sipping endless cups of coffee and taking stress vitamins. None of them worked; I only felt more hopeless and pressured in the end.
And so I decided that instead of letting stress control my life, I’d take control of stress.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for a face-off with the things I’ve been trying to finish in haste or avoid altogether.
First, I sat down and listed (in full detail) the things I needed to finish. I decided which tasks were most pressing and which could be accomplished later. Then I plotted a day-by-day plan, complete with estimated start-to-end times for each task, until I was able to cover all the tasks in my to-do list. Before I realized it, I was marking off the tasks one by one and completing more than I had expected to.
I know you’re probably thinking that relieving stress is easier said than done. But if you’re really determined, you can make it happen if you take things one at a time. Here are a few tips to help you started.
- Keep a jolly disposition. Smile! Laugh! A grumpy mood can actually affect the end-product of your work. Don’t worry so much! Think about it: by fussing about the things you have to do, you’re actually using up time you could spend working on it!
- Get yourself some helpful tools like an organizer and post-its. And use them! Sometimes, work piles up because we forget about this or that assignment and end up cramming them all in one night. Time management and proper planning can do wonders for your schedule.
- Keep a daily journal. This is one good way of coping with stress. Writing things down gives you a clear picture of the tasks you’ve accomplished. Keeping track of your progress also allows you to keep things in perspective, and not be intimidated by the work that seems to pile up.
- As soon as you have something to do (ie. project or exam) start on it, and I mean immediately. Usually we get excited to do something within a few hours after it’s assigned. But afterwards laziness and procrastination sets in. Don’t wait until the last minute to work on something. Crammed work is never excellent work. Even bona fide crammers (like yours truly) need enough lead time to prepare for these things.
- Be realistic, and focus. More often than not, overachieving won’t make you achieve much. Take your commitments one at a time, starting with the urgent ones. Finish one task before starting to work on another. This can help you feel like you’re actually making progress, being able to get things done one by one instead of starting so many things at once and not knowing which one to continue working on afterwards.
- Don’t forget to have fun and relax! When you plan your day, make sure you also make time for rest and recreation, power naps and snack breaks. Set aside time off with your friends and family to keep your mind and body refreshed.
- Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, and deliver what you promised.Don’t spread yourself too thin. If you already have too many commitments, reassess which ones you’d like to keep, and which ones you think you can afford to drop (especially extra-curricular activities). Don’t overwhelm yourself and take on too many new responsibilities.
- Engage in a sort of pep talk with yourself. What’s the point of thinking, “I’m dead meat. I can never make it in time!” when you would only be putting yourself down in doing so? Instead, tell yourself you can do it. Visualize yourself doing it. And actually do it, because you can!
- Get over it—whatever it is. Stop cringing at the thought of past mistakes and embarrassments. What’s done is done. Instead of wasting time worrying about these things, think of how you can resolve current matters and be productive.
- And of course, seek support and encouragement. Talk with someone who understands, like a family member of friend, and share with them your apprehensions and aspirations. It’s always great to know you’re not alone in dealing with these things.
You see, stress stops precisely when we don’t stress about it. It’s not to say that we should be easygoing or indifferent. What we need is to think positive and be realistic. Don’t be afraid to face your responsibilities, and you’ll be getting things done faster than you can say breakdown.
Shai Lagarde, 19, is a college senior taking Communications at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. She is editor and writer for several publications in and out of school and is currently doing her undergraduate thesis. Often stressed out with all the work, she tries to follow her own advice as much as she can.