Tips on how to relieve stress?

rae92

Usually, I'm not one for worrying but as you can imagine, the pressures of sixth year are beginning to kick in.

Today, I had to see my doctor about painful chest pains. He told me it was most likely stress. These pains come often are very sharp and irritating above everything else. The stresses of wanting to do well this year are actually effecting my physical health and it's worrying me.
My doctor told me to try and relax and assured me I was probably working hard enough and so I should try taking some time out. But no longer than a few minutes home, I immediately begin to think about studying again and log onto the computer to look up study methods.

How can I relieve my stress? I really need to relax but it's so hard with the thoughts of failure and laziness at the back of my mind. But don't get me wrong, I'm not as bad for studying as many other people I know and yet I'm still suffering!
Does anyone have any tips on how to reduce stress in sixth year perhaps?

JayEnnis

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JayEnnis wrote: »

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Watch it.....

Also, if anyone suggests any form of illicit substance, they're gone, for good!

randylonghorn

rae92 wrote: »

How can I relieve my stress? I really need to relax but it's so hard with the thoughts of failure and laziness at the back of my mind. But don't get me wrong, I'm not as bad for studying as many other people I know and yet I'm still suffering!
Does anyone have any tips on how to reduce stress in sixth year perhaps?

Start with the basics:

- get regular exercise, preferably every day, even if its only 20 minutes cycling or a brisk walk (emphasis on brisk)

- eat sensibly ... try to eat a reasonably balanced diet, avoid a lot of sugary foods or drinks, esp. late at night when they are likely to keep you awake

- get a proper nights sleep. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Stop studying or thinking about study well before bedtime, do something relaxing for an hour or two.

The reality is that spending hours thinking about studying or spending the whole time sitting at a desk flicking through the books in a panic isn't actually achieving anything apart from stressing you. If anything, what you read in that mode is likely to slide off the bubble of worry in your brain without sinking in at all.

Set aside a reasonable amount of time for homework / study, go at it hell for leather during that time, then forget about it and go do something else.

Oh, and remember when studying to take at least a 5 minute break every hour. Get up, walk around, preferably leave the room, maybe even get a breath of fresh air for a couple of minutes if it's not pishing down outside.

Chuchoter

Make a timetable for each week and list what you want to get done each day. For example, mine currently says

Thursday
Learn the Irish phrases on the sheet
Write Irish essay on the education system
Redo all the part Bs on the Maths sheet
Learn Patrick Kavanagh quotes.

I tick them off as I go and then I know at the end of my 2-3 hours I definitely have loads of work done and by the end of the week I can look at my sheet and say 'Hey, look at all this stuff I know!'. Its really helped me because I couldn't tell how much I was doing even if I was working for like ages. Make sure you're not working past 9 or at a push 10 o'clock at night. You need at least an hour to two hours to calm down. Make sure you are doing some sort of fun exercise (ie not horrible boring gym) that you actually like. Spend time with your friends and pick a day where you do zero study and go do something nice then. And most importantly, spend max 4 hours a day studying this midterm, don't make it all study!:D

Also, at the risk of sounding like a total pervert, in places other than catholic guilt Ireland, what the first poster said is actually on most of the 'getting rid of stress' tips lists.

Ciaramb92

I know it sounds silly but laughter really relaxes me! Watch a good comedy (The Panel or something) or talk to a funny friend..! Trust me, it will work!

Musefan

Firstly, be realistic about your goals. I would think it more beneficial to work from a daily timetable, rather than weekly. You cannot really predict on a monday that you will be totally free on a thursday evening to revise a subject. There are many extraneous variables that could interfere with a weekly timetable, and the chances are, if you end up having to miss something on your timetable, you will feel guilty about it, and push yourself harder on subsequent days.

Therefore, maybe plan an evening timetable after school each day before you begin your homework. You can accomplish your immediate goals, while the day's work is still fresh in your mind.

Secondly, start to associate studying with positive experiences. For example, set a goal of a max 2-3 hours work a night, followed by your favourite TV program to unwind to, maybe a bath, maybe read a book, maybe take a run, whatever works to associate the work with the reward. It's a classic form of conditioning.

Thirdly, stress will affect your health (I did a laboratory practical on this the other day ), and by realizing that each time you begin to stress, you are in losing time in the long run, because you will develop colds etc, far easier. This should give you the incentive as to calm down.

Maybe more positive stratagems, like making lists of things you have covered in revision, and know well, would be more beneficial then making lists of what you have yet to learn.

And lastly, develop sound study techniques that mean when you finish working in the evening, you are confident in what you have achieved. For example study in an environment that is similar to where you sit your leaving, e.g no noise, at a desk etc, as it will aid memory recall as much as possible. Coming up to exams, mentally rehearse going into the exam hall, sitting down and calming yourself. These techniques are all valid and well researched (I am a psych student, and my professors are all trained in this sort of stress alleviation stuff)

I was in the same position as you during my leaving, until I realized that stress just wasn't productive Good Luck!

theowen

Keep in mind the LC is not the end of the world...

wayhey

theowen wrote: »

Keep in mind the LC is not the end of the world...

Everything, everybody's said is really beneficial here. Once you've been through it you'll realise that there really is nothing to be scared about. You sound like a hard-working student and so long as you keep that up you'll do the best you can do. It's all that matters. Stressing wastes time and as you say it's wrecking your health.

Honestly, I understand what it's like stressing about the Leaving (I'm doing it all over again :pac:) but it really is a waste of time. Don't get bogged down with all that has to be done and if you find yourself up all hours studying, turn off the light and just get into bed because it'll affect your learning and studying the next day. It's a cliche, but this whole thing is a marathon not a sprint and besides, your health and mental wellbeing are infinitely more valuable than any piece of paper you'll get next August

jumpguy

Hmm, I was a bit like that last year (that was 5th year!) but this year I'm far more relaxed and I'm finding I'm getting much more done and am much happier.

You say you want to log onto the internet to look up study methods...why? There are no proven study methods, other than sit down and do the work. Sorry, but nothing you read on the internet is gonna make it easier or change that fact. So stop worrying about what you need to do to start studying, you just need to sit down and work.

But you won't be able to any of this if you don't relax. You need to have a well-balanced life, excess of anything is bad, be it study or stress. If you keep going at this rate, there won't be much of you left to sit the exam you're studying for in June. Your health must ALWAYS prioritise over everything else, because without your health is it really worth it? Meet up with friends, take 2 nights off study a week (just getting your homework done and paying attention in class is fine at this stage.)

So, with that in mind, forget huge amounts of study. You don't have to get a ridiculous amount done every night. Want a study tip? Make VERY small goals every night and work from that. For example:

English: Revise 2 Boland poems (if you're doing 6 poems, in just 3 nights you'll have Boland revised).

Maths: Do 2 algebra exam questions from 2010 and correct (that's on the HL paper, dunno what the OL Paper is like, if you do the 2 algebra questions every night, in 15 days you'll have all the algebra questions that came up on the LC paper since 1995).

There is no point trying to set goals that are too high: you'll only miss them, feel miserable, get stressed, and then end up getting nothing done. There is no point studying constantly - nobody an do it. You need to take nights off and relax.

muffinz

tbh your fecked for the year no matter what! I was the same, went to the doctor with pains, he said alot less stress, more exercise, take vitamins, less caffeine (used to be addicted to coffee to keep me awake studying)... I started taking alot more nature walks etc. No matter what you do your going to be exhausted, its the worst year of your life, but seriously calm down its only October! Take it from us, you dont need to start worrying till its necessary, right now its now!

deelite

When I'm stressed out (and I'm no LC student) - there's only one thing that gets me totally relaxed and that listening to "my songs" that make me feel good eg., here's my top three

Town Called Malice - The Jam
Kool For Cats - Squeeze
My Humps - BEP

Just relaxed at the end of the day it's an exam - not the rest of your life.

fleeflyfloflum

Ciaramb92 wrote: »

Watch a good comedy (The Panel or something)

*cough*

Seriously, I find a walk in the evening really helps me to calm down if I'm at all stressed...fitting it in before dark is half the battle!!

cocoshovel

during the summer I took up a pool membership and used the Sauna, Steam room and Jacuzzi (mainly sauna) every 2-3 days in the morning. I found it to be so bloody relaxing, it gave me so much stress relief. Try it sometime if you can.

Ciaramb92

Originally Posted by Ciaramb92
Watch a good comedy (The Panel or something)

*cough*

Seriously, I find a walk in the evening really helps me to calm down if I'm at all stressed...fitting it in before dark is half the battle!!

Just got an email saying I've got 4 tickets to go to it in December.. Take it you won't want one Fleeflyfloflum? :P

Diabhal Beag

Exercise more to take your mind off it. Enjoy the nights out and look at them as a fun night off.

Take cheat days too. What I mean is that you should have a day where you only do homework and take it easy the rest of the night.