Understanding stress

Stress is the feeling of emotional or physical tension. It comes in either acute, episodic or chronic stress. Acute stress occurs in short periods of time, and works to your advantage by giving you the adrenaline. However, when these stressful periods gets prolonged for longer periods of time that becomes chronic stress. Episodic stress sits in the middle. It is a form of acute stress but more frequent.

As a student, we can’t avoid stress completely. So, how do we manage it?

1- Mimic elements of stressful environments

Somehow exam halls tend to be quiet and cold, and examinations are required to be completed under time pressure. So recreate the same environment whenever attempting practice questions. A good example would be the library, as there are other students around your studying time, similar to the exam hall.

Alternatively, if you normally get anxious during competitions, invite friends and family to watch your practice games. This doubles as a way to bond with your close ones and mimic a real game day with a crowd full of fans cheering. The key is to identify the “stressor” (sensory that causes you to feel tense) and face it during a practice session.

2- Exercise Regularly

This directly decreases stress, as it pumps your body with endorphins, the brain hormones to relieve yourself of stressful situations. As a result, it improves your mood, as it reduces anxiety and improve sleep. With better sleep, it recharges and rejuvenates your tired mind and body from a long day of stress.

A simple 20-30 minute cardio or workout, would do the trick. Just ensure that you break a sweat while maintaining a steady but slightly average heart rate (200-233 Beats per Minute/ BPM, assuming aged 16).

3- Plan ahead of exams

Following your final examinations, you would need to apply for your colleges or universities. Many a time, students would rest due to the burnt out caused by prolonged study periods.

Now, taking a rest after a stressful situation is right. However, students sometime prolong their break times, to the point they miss out life-changing opportunities awaiting them, in the next chapter of their education.

Fret not, leave that part to AUG, your trusted educational agency, to receive the right information on what to do next – choose a course, apply to colleges or universities or perhaps take a gap year.

As AUG has been established for 27 years, students often find themselves well cared for when they seek guidance from AUG regarding their educational needs, be it local or abroad. This is because AUG has professional counsellors to provide a variety of educational services from free counselling, course consultation, application, scholarship advice to student visa application and accommodation arrangements.