stressor
My chosen stress is the pressure to succeed in school after a change of scenery from having moved. Because I'm enrolled in Pre-International Baccalaureatte courses, I have high expectations I need to meet and anxiety induced by the anticipated final exams and the increased workload as the year went on.
Out of the multitude of ideas for coping with and managing my stress, these are the ones that I will strive for and use in my action plan:
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Exercise: According to all of my sources, exercise has multiple immediate benefits. It wakes up the tense and overworked areas of your body, releasing the energy positively. Eating healthy and in regulated dosages (stress-eating is a long-term stressor!) can keep your mind alert and ready to tackle the next problem.
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Relaxation: Taking a break and collecting yourself allows your brain to cool down, and your body to keep from overloading with stress. The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests taking 20 minutes to collect yourself or experimenting with meditation to focus yourself and achieve a new perspective.
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Self-Awareness: Everyone is human. headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and other physical or mental signs the body gives us are warnings to step back and take care of ourselves, based on the studies by Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley.
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Time Management: Procrastination is the downfall of all students. Laying out miniature action plans within your action plans allows you to take things one step at a time.
advice to follow
my action plan
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Organize Myself: What do I have to do? How much do I have to do? How much can I accomplish within limits? My first step should always be to divide a huge workload into smaller, more manageable sections so that I can complete a little at a time, take breaks, and even walk away without ending up overwhelmed. If I can take things in steps, then I can leave myself feeling like I've achieved more; slaying one beast instead of the hydra, for instance, which keeps growing back its heads.
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Recognize my Warning Signs: I am prone to anxiety and exhaustion. Am I feeling sick or tired? Am I starting to feel trapped? Times like these are when it's best to step away from my work, leave it altogether, and compose myself. Whether it would be watching a movie, going to bed so that my immune system doesn't weaken, or feeding myself healthy food, I need to understand my own limits so that I don't end up sick, weak, and unable to move past my obstacles.
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Exercise regularly: Before going to work, in breaks, or after I've finished something I planned to do, I should get up and move. Studies have shown that too much time at a desk is bad for your body and for your mind, and can leave physical and mental health problems in its wake. It doesn't matter what I do; jogging, walking my dog, pacing around my room, or stretching. All of these things will release the energy I've obtained from stacked stress and my stationary position.
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Repeat: It should be a cycle that I adopt with every project. Set goals, achieve them, take breaks, pace myself, and make sure that I'm taking care of my body so that I can achieve this habitual process without hurting myself.