In other words, don't sweat the small stuff, and don't make yourself crazy by overcommitting yourself and leaving everything to the last minute. Ask yourself, do I need this? Do I have to do this?
Of course, no one can completely avoid stress in their life, and in fact, some forms of stress can be good. Lots of people like the positive, controlled stress of exercise or performing. There is a different 'perfect' balance of stress and relaxation for every person. But everyone can benefit from learning some ways to counteract the physical strains of being under stress. Stretching -- and stretching often, even simply rolling down your spine, touching your toes, or doing yoga if so inclined, can work against the heart-pumping, muscle-stiffening effects of the stress response. By encouraging your body to relax, your brain will begin to feel relaxed. Breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth counteracts the shallow breathing of the stress response.
Another important stress mitigation technique is getting enough sleep and eating properly. One of the difficult things about stressful times like finals is that when we are stressed we don't often have enough time to take care of our health, but it is during stressful times that we need to be more, rather than less careful about sleeping, eating, and taking a break. "Even missing 2 hours of sleep 2 nights in a row can cause sleep deprivation, leading to that foggy, spaced-out feeling," according to the Colorado University Health center's advice on "How to Survive Finals."...
Not all stressful situations can be dealt with simply by breathing, whether they have an external or psychological cause. However, regardless of your state of mental or physical wellness, time management and saying no, breathing and stretching, and having regular healthy habits can help reduce the stress in your life.
Works Cited
10 Great Stress Reducers." (2008). Colorado University. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/wellness/NewSite/StressHelpfulTips10Great.htm
How to survive finals with less stress. (2008). Colorado University. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/wellness/NewSite/StressHelpfulTipsFinals.html
Stressed Out?" (Jan 2007). The National Institute of Health. NIH. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/pdf/NIHNiH%20January07.pdf
Stretch Often." (2008). Colorado University. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/wellness/NewSite/StressHelpfulTipsStretch.html
