Healthy mind, healthy body: Keeping student stress at bay

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The exam period is always a stressful time and it does not do justice for our mindset and our physical body. We all cope with pressure in various ways. Yet have no fear because there are ways to stay on top of everything and to sustain a healthy mind and healthy body.

Whether you are planning your week or planning your day of study, a revision timetable will keep you focused and it will make it a lot less difficult to achieve those glorious high marks. With high marks come great post-parties. A timetable will direct your efforts in the right direction. Besides, we cannot deny the slight gratification we get as a result of completing the most impeccable timetable. Another trick is to set some work for yourself and then write down when and where you will complete it. This increases the likeliness of finishing the work you set yourself. Strict deadlines and time management techniques increase your confidence and make you work more efficiently.

Unfortunately, the work does not stop after perfecting the revision timetable. It is much easier to get motivated and more difficult to remain disciplined. It is fundamental that you choose to study in a quiet place, ensuring that any distractions are out of sight (i.e. no tempting television and no inviting iPhones). However, the one mistake we all make is where we sit down, plant our heads into our books and remain in the same position until the sun goes down. Our idea of what is productive can be completely mistaken. You may think you have had a highly productive day of revision when in fact the quality of your work would have been better if you had allowed yourself short and often breaks. There is of course a limit to how long we can concentrate for. Therefore, it is vital that you stretch your legs and get some fresh air throughout the day. These breaks help to absorb what you have learnt and help avoid information overload. Refocus the brain and have regular breaks. Refuel the body and ensure you are sustaining a healthy diet. A healthy mind requires a healthy body.

It is important that you avoid isolating yourself from everybody else. Remember we have all felt under pressure at one point. If you do not understand something ask questions. Learn to recognise when you are feeling stressed and talk about it with friends or family. You will have the ability to put everything back into perspective. Imagine if I told you that you could lower your stress levels and improve the quantity and quality of your work by doing more of one simple thing. This one thing requires the most minimal amount of energy- sleep. It has been proven that sleep improves your memory, sharpens your attention span and spurs creativity. Moreover, we all need our beauty sleep, and sleep itself is full of beauty-boosting benefits.

And lastly, treat yourself. When you conquer that imaginary mountain that is revision, submissions, assessments, essays etc. you must celebrate. Girls you should indulge in some hard-core online shopping while the boys treat themselves with an intense thumb-workout playing Fifa.