With summer just around the corner, many of us, whether a student or an adult, just can’t wait to throw away some of our tedious tasks and rush off towards Palm Beach.
However, before that becomes reality, we all know that there’s at least one last obstacle in our way; one final behemoth lies between us and our oasis of relaxation.
It can take numerous forms: exams, research labs, projects, sales, meetings, you name it.
The confrontation may not be easy and it may even make or break us, but what is important is that we were able to persevere.
What we don’t want, unfortunately, is to utterly wreck our health in the process. So here are a few tips to take into consideration when dealing with a load of stress:
• Maintain a balanced lifestyle: While sometimes being overwhelmed by an over excessive workload, we may tend to overlook some of the finer aspects of daily life.
First, we must constantly be aware of healthy eating, and while some foods such as fast foods may seem convenient when you’re on the go, it is not wholesome in the long run.
Yet, by taking into account the types of food consumed, including the calorie, fat, vitamin, and mineral intake, we could not only ensure ourselves of a steady body weight, but also of proper nourishment which can lead to increased immune responses.
• Second: it is paramount that we all receive ample sleep on a regular basis. The Centre for Disease Control recommends that teenagers between the ages of 13 to 18 should get between 8 to 10 hours of sleep, while adults over the age of 18 should get seven hours or more.
During sleep, the human body retains and organizes information from the previous day, not to mention also repairing damaged cells.
Thus, it is evident that a lack of sleep can lead to decreased productivity and poor health.
• Third: positivity plays a pivotal role in our coping of stress. More often than not, our outlook on a situation can dictate its final result.
Approaching our problems with cautious optimism rather than pessimism can ultimately steer us towards a more positive outcome since our own pessimistic views may downplay our attempts at tackling an issue which in turn can jeopardizes our capabilities.
• Lastly, have good time management (don’t procrastinate).
More specifically, we ought to organize all our activities into one of four categories: not important and not urgent; urgent but not important; important but not urgent; and urgent and important.
Work and stress go hand in hand and is often unavoidable.
However, there are more advantageous approaches that can protect our health and well-being especially through times of hardship.
David Wang is a student at Garibaldi secondary.