STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS

AND PROFESSIONALS

Author: Muhammad Sohaib Niazi

INTRODUCTION
Studying in a demanding field or institution is always a big challenge. Similarly working in
any professional field demands high level of commitment. With ever increasing demands of
professional world, the student or professional feels overwhelmed by the burden. One feels that
his or her available resources (mental, physical, emotional, time, money, energy, strengths etc.)
are not at par with the nature and quantity of work required off them. This excess of work load
w.r.t your available resources is known as Psychological Stress.

STRESS MANAGEMENT
Stress Management refers to the psychological and physical techniques used to cope up with
the stress, help you to minimize its adverse impacts on your life, so that the normal daily
functioning is not halted and the peak performance can be achieved.
No Size Fits All; the stress management techniques, perceptual and behavioral modifications
are subject to the stressor that you yourself are facing.

SOURCES OF STRESS IN YOUR LIFE (STRESSORS)

There can be one or more stressors in your life now which will be denting your progress in
passing your exams, getting good grades or finding a suitable job etc.

For example a person may feel stressed as his or her exams are approaching but the workload
is still too mammoth to be prepared. In this case, the student may not be facing actual work
load stressor rather it may be a side effect of procrastination earlier on in the session.

Therefore, major life changes can often lead to stress like being fired from job, failure in exam,
losing a loved one etc. On the other hand stress can also be caused by situations which are not
well aligned to our strengths, interests and in which we dont have much motivation. Like a
person poor in bodily kinesthetic intelligence, may feel stressed out in any athletics related
game which will require a physically fit and strong body.
 An important point to note is that the stressor is subject to your own particular resources
and no stressor is an absolute stressor. For example losing a job may be a great stressor
for a person who was dependent solely on it. On the other hand, a person who has a
well-established business, may not consider being fired from job as a major stressor
just because he will not get salary the next month.

The main thing is to accept responsibility that I am responsible for creating and/or
maintaining stress in my life. Because it is the first step towards improvement. All people
have the ability to control these stressors as all people can gain control over their
perceptions, predispositions, attitudes, emotions, feelings and behavior. Without taking the
responsibility, one can never regain the grip of life.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Stress management techniques are ideally those which shape you in better way and allow you
to perform well being in hard situations.

Without getting too much into neurology, our mind and body doesnt care if the stress or worry
is removed by an instantly gratifying yet a harmful source in the long run.

For instance, if our mind requires pleasure, the dopamine (a pleasure associated hormone) rush
through any mean is good enough for that moment even if it comes from a harmful drug.

Therefore, first we briefly take a look at some of the unhealthy ways through which people try
in vain to cope with stress.

1. Smoking
2. Eating too much or too little
3. Eating junk food
4. Sleeping too much or too little
5. Drinking too many carbonated drinks/tea/coffee
6. Social withdrawal from family, friends etc.
7. Procrastination by wasting time on TV, cell phones and on social media etc.
8. Lashing out, angry bursts on others
9. Filling each moment of the day to remain busy but not productive and so on.
If your unhealthy techniques dont contribute to your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual
health, its time to re-educate yourself, redirect and reorient your thinking and behavioral
patterns so that you may perform well in your studies and in professional endeavors.
Now lets find out what are the healthy ways for coping with stress:

There are 3 Categories for stress management techniques, these are not hard and fast rules, so
try to experiment with different tactics and see what works best for you in diverse stressful
situations.
CATEGORY # 1 CHANGE THE SITUATION
In situations, where you feel stressed and you can change the situation, you must change it.
Make sure that you are not being impulsive and are rationally deciding to change your path,
your journey, your objectives and goals in life, education, profession etc. After thoughtful
analysis, it is no shame that one may find s/he is not best suited to the situation one currently
is in and should change the situation rationally.

No problem can be solved by an equal level of consciousness that created it. So today you may
be more informed, knowledgeable, your exposure, experience may be better and more than
past. Therefore, dont fall for such glitches that never change the goal and only change the
direction when you fail. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and in the same
way and expecting different results. So here, if you can, change the thing.

If you feel your resources strengths, interests, motives etc. dont tally with the field, go where
you can outshine. This method will help you to regain control in life as the stressful situation
itself is removed. It could be switching the educational field, institution, job or whatever.

CATEGORY # 2 CHANGE THE REACTION/ ATTITUDE

In cases, where you cant change the situation, change the reaction or the way of doing it. If
you cant help yourself being fired from a job, you can always get up and seek a new one rather
than sitting miserably on a bench with a pessimist.

Similarly, if someone failed in an exam last time, s/he should improve on mistakes, change the
perception that selective study is enough for example, work more consistently, on this way the
wind can be seen as a force allowing you to gain momentum big time. You can define how you
respond to a stressful situation in life. Intelligence and hard work can take you to the top of any
profession but attitude, emotional stability and character will keep you there.

So coping the stress is always about changing the way you look at things and redirecting your
distorted mindsets and perceptions. If you think GPA doesnt matter, then youll never work
for it and the success may never come to you. So learn the rules of the game of life and your
respective profession and then play smart.

CATEGORY # 3 SOME SMART TECHNIQUES

Some handy techniques are briefly described which could prove helpful in the long run.

1. START THE DAY EARLY

Join the 4 a.m. club gradually or at once depending upon your circumstances. Getting out of
your comfort zone is the foremost way of getting ahead in life. Give yourself more room for
study, work etc. Try to sleep early at night and define the important and urgent tasks for
tomorrow before sleeping.
 2. WORK CONSISTENTLY
Consistency is one most powerful tool for coping the professional stress. If you are a student,
dont leave todays task for tomorrow. Always be 100% committed to your priorities and be
lethal about distractions.

3. TAKE BREAKS
In your study and professional schedule, always take breaks to energize yourself by hanging
out with friend and loved ones, enjoying your hobbies etc. One other break should be taken in
between study sessions. A 10minute break after every 50minutes of study is always very useful
and helps to memorize things better.

4. GET ENGAGED SOCIALLY

Some students and professionals think that by deactivating their social media profiles or by
avoiding social gatherings and switching off their cell phones they will be able to stay more
productive. A big NO! It is just a weak coping method of mind known as psychological defense
mechanism to flee from stresses. Any healthy person would socialize, meet with people while
keeping his priorities in mind. Getting engaged socially will allow you to regroup your energies
and will give you a refreshing feeling. No one ever succeeded by fleeing from things or people.
Balance your life in a way so that you may not paralyze your life by fleeing from technology
or people. Everything has its own importance.

5. AVOID UNNECESSARY STRESSORS

Learn to say NO assertively to what you will not be able to commit yourself. Also avoid
negative and pessimistic people who drain you emotionally. Similarly avoid any unnecessary
situations that lead to stress like if you feel low after listening to music, avoid it.

6. BE REALISITC AND SMART

Like the power of a cell phone battery, our will power drains as we move to evening. Try to set
realistic targets and goals. Always perform the important and tough tasks early in the day so
that you will feel motivated throughout the day. Dont think you can impulsively achieve
everything in one day. Spend your energies in an optimum manner.

7. AVOID PERFECTIONISM
By trying in vain to be invulnerable in any field of life, no matter how hard you try you will
never reach that 100% perfectionism level ever. As the standard of perfectionism will keep
moving away as you will get closer. You invest around half of the time for any venture or
task in life to make it better from 85% performance level to 95% level. The sad part is that no
one and only you can tell the difference. This way you will do more harm than good to your
life. As Confucius said To go past the mark is as wrong as to fall short. The world will be
happy with you at anything above 70% performance level.

8. NEVER REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES

Always do the things differently if it doesnt work last time. One major drawback of success is
that people never change the method of doing anything until they are getting the required
results. So if you are failing in exam, change the strategy, methodology, improve the concepts,
avoid silly mistakes, give attention to detail and the stress will be all gone.

9. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Practice emotional intelligence to improve psychologically first. You should have enough sleep
before the exam, you should never take a setback to heart, you should believe in your elf, have
the grit and resilience to be a champion. If you cant improve then accept that success will
never lower its standard to accommodate you. You will have to upgrade your level to achieve
it. All successful people focused on continuously improving their life and professional skills.
Learn new and better things about your profession to increase your worth and competence.

10. PRACTICE GRATITUTDE

Always be thankful to your Lord for everything and then to your teachers, parents, peer group
for their varied support. All people contribute to our success. Even if the peons stop working
the institutions will face many issues. Many talented people fail in life and are too stressed
about issues in life because they are never contented and never feel that they have achieved
something. Being thankful makes you more ready to achieve next best.

11. ENGAGE IN SPORTS

Physical exercise and sports keep you agile and mentally fresh. They also help you to learn
important life skills, like leadership, stress coping, overcoming failure etc.

12. READ GOOD BOOKS

This habit is common amongst all people of value. Your exposure level increases and your
greater awareness leads to better and more rational decision making in stressful events.

13. BE PROACTIVE
Make every effort to utilize your free time in some healthy activities and be proactive.
Sometimes being ahead of your schedule will remove the anticipated anxiety. Always revise
on time, go to bed in time, go for exam before the expected time to remove anxiety, practice
smart tactics, like taking a shower in morning to make you feel happy due to dopamine release,
light colors of clothes on exam day help to uplift mood, some sunshine enjoyment uplifts the
mood as well due to serotonin release etc. Smiling in the mirror can help to increase confidence.

14. OPTIMIZE YOUR LIFE RESPONISBILITES

Everyone has his or her own journey so always optimize your priorities, endeavors,
responsibilities and duties according to your own constraints so that you may achieve a well-
balanced success or precisely Excellence

15. LOVE MORE

Love the people around you, share love and gratitude, help others, have a positive mindset that
believes in abundance i.e. there is more than enough in universe for everyone. We just need to
get up and achieve. Dont look down upon others, solve the problems of others wherever you
can.

CONCLUSION
At professional level anywhere in the world, whether in sports, accounting, management or in
any field, the knowledge, skills and talent is given (of course otherwise you will not reach that
level) but what separates average performers from extra ordinary achievers is the ability to
perform under stress and pressure. That is what you should aim it. Play smart to win big!

Passionately

Muhammad Sohaib Niazi