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[H1792]How You Handle Stress

by Kevin03, Kev

You may have always had problems with stress. Think back to your years in school, even elementary school. Did you get a little queasy and nervous the first time you faced a test which was graded? Perhaps you got tense and it was nearly impossible to concentrate on the task at hand. It only got worse when you received a poor grade on that test - you began to see yourself as a failure!

It didn't get much better as school went on, although by then you'd taken plenty of tests. This went on right up to your SAT tests. You couldn't focus on the questions - your mind went blank at crucial moments. You found yourself taking and retaking your SAT's with stress knocking you down every time.

Certainly taking a test can be a very stressful experience. Whether you are a very young student, or are in college a test can be nerve wracking. Tests decide whether not you advance and whether or not you'll graduate! Education is vital to success in your professional life. A test can really be a stumbling block if you have a problem handling the stress of these important events.

There will always be some stress involved in taking any test. You can take measures to minimize the amount of stress that you experience and reduce its disruptive effect. One good step is to take a prep course for taking any important tests you have coming up. Test preparation courses for the SAT and ACT tests are widely available and can help you keep your cool when it comes time for the real thing. You'll learn some useful strategies in these courses such as answering the easiest questions first, pacing and most importantly, not panicking. These are the tools you'll need to take any test.

Practice tests are of great help to many students preparing for a big exam. The questions on a practice test won't be the same as one the real test, but should be similar enough that you'll be prepared and know what to expect when you actually take the exam.

Getting adequate sleep the night before a test is important. Being tired can make it even more difficult to concentrate. Being fatigued may also make you feel frustrated during the exam - which means a lower score for you. Arriving for an exam well rested will help you to do your best.

Nutrition is also key to doing well on exams and keeping your stress levels low. Sugar is not the friend of a student. It leads to a "crash", which will make it difficult to concentrate. A diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains is the way to go to prepare your body and mind for taking a test.

Having a tutor can be helpful as well. A tutor will help you to stay focused while you study; this will improve your study skills all around and will offer you support on being prepared for that upcoming exam. Having someone to help you prepare can give you the confidence you need to keep stress at bay when taking a big test.

Similarly, a mentor may be something you want to seek out. A mentor is something like a coach, working to buildup your confidence. You can learn by your mentor's example - he or she can tell you how they became successful. With a mentor in your corner, you may find your stress level about this test greatly reduced.

Test taking is a skill. Since it is a skill, this means that it can be learned; something which should put your mind at ease. You can take some time to study test taking in general and thereby become much better at taking any test. Keep in mind that you're not going to ace every test you ever take. You're going to need determination and patience to get through this and become a better test taker. Eventually, test taking will be a skill which you have a solid grasp of - and then your test taking stress will melt away.

Stress is a natural and unavoidable feature of modern life.
When the pressures of life become too much and we can't
cope, stress operates like a screw gradually turning tighter
and tighter. Often we don't realise that we are under stress -
until the pressure becomes too much and the lid starts lifting...
then we crack. Humans are vulnerable and live under an
optimum level of stress every day - they often don't know
how to cope, when the pressure builds up too much...but
what can we do about it to make our lives easier?

HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS?

Listen to your own alarm system. There are abundant
challenges, demands and opportunities in modern living; but
these often cause frustration and exasperation. Your first
step is to be aware that you are under stress. Make a list
of all of all the major stress areas in your everyday life. (My
what a big list!). Then armed with this knowledge, make
an honest commitment to changes in your life. By identifying
the causes and being open to change, you can at least hope
for improvement.

FIND THE CAUSE.
CALL IT BY NAME, THEN YOU CAN ELIMINATE IT.
The key, I believe, is ACCEPTANCE.

People suffering from severe stress should seek help from a
doctor or therapist. Therapists help the patient to feel
differently about things. In other words, they get them to
have a different perspective. Persons suffering from stress
might do small tasks to give them a feeling of accomplishment
before returning to the work-force. All these techniques
can make people grow; just like plants don't grow, unless they
are watered and cared for.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT STRESS?

Look at your life and try to find the main cause(es) of your
stress. What external event or situation is causing the problem?
Or is it just your perception? Is it physical, emotional or
professional? Self knowledge means self help; so that once
you can identify the cause of your distress, you can eliminate it.
Remember that for you to be happy, all three areas of your
life (ie. emotional, spiritual and intellectual) need to be
satisfied. You need BALANCE in your life. The first step is
ACCEPTANCE: admit that you are under stress and not coping
with life, as well as you should. Once you accept this, the
next step is committing yourself to take ACTION to relieve
the problem. Making that decision to take action is probably
the hardest for you. It is best to use a combination of strategies
to combat moderate stress (the result of daily wear and tear
on the body).

Possible action plans are as follows:

1. EXERCISE regularly. A healthy, flexible body makes for a
healthy, alert mind. Being physically active stimulates energy
levels in the brain (through the chemical serotonin, or
something like that) and allows an outlet for your frustrations.

2. Keep BUSY; this takes your mind off the problem. It is the
best antidote to deal with the problem, instead of worrying
about it.

3. Take time for yourself to RELAX, MEDITATE and VISUALISE.
Don't let trivial problems build up and get the better of you.
A quiet body is more prone to recovery and health than an
angry one.

4. Keep a positive mental attitude (P.M.A), that you will
overcome your stress. Your attitude will determine your
thoughts and how well you cope with life: "As I think I am."
Your attitude beats facts every time. Haven't I said that phrase
before?

5. Watch your DIET carefully. Eat plenty of healthy foods:
fruit, fresh 'veggies' and vitamins (especially B and C). Cut
down on stimulants, like caffeine and nicotine; both these are
drugs that build up your resistance. Also cut down on sugar,
fats and your salt intake.

6. COMMUNICATE with a person close to you. Open your
heart to those nearest and dearest to you. Don't suffer in
silence. John Donne said "No man is an island unto himself."
(And a few women too!). Set aside specific times to
communicate and talk honestly. Share your thoughts, worries,
feelings, dreams, disappointments and problems...
and doesn't life have enough of them!

7. Let go of your EMOTIONS. Cry if you want to. It's natural
and wil lhelp the healing process. This applies to "macho" men also,
who are socialised to keep their emotions inside.

8. Pray to God for the answers to your stress problem,
if you are religious, or "a spiritual" person . You WILL
get the answers via your subconscious mind, your intuition -
our connecting link with our Creator, a Supreme Being, Spirit,
Higher Self (or whatever you understand God to be).

Finally,
9. Keep your sense of HUMOUR and be HAPPY.

Article Source : stress management plan

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Both Kevin03 & Craig Lock are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Kevin03 has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Lose Weight and Stress Management. Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of , a site that provides information and articles for self improvement and personal growth and de. Kevin03's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.

Craig Lock has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management. . Craig Lock's top article generates over 1300 views. to your Favourites.