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Proof of the pudding
Result stress? How do you know when the jitterbugs bite too hard? Check this list, says Benita Sen.Suggest ways to beat stress
If May is the merry month for some, for others, it’s the time for results. Stomach muscles tighten all over the country, from Leh to Lakshadweep, just thinking of the Board results.
In a way, some stress is normal. Just as there’s good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, there is good stress and bad stress. The good stress is what makes us alert about dangers around us, but when stress levels go beyond a point, it’s bad.
How do you know when the jitterbugs bite you too hard? Check the list below. If you say yes to more than three of the list for over a couple of days, you need to read me through and ask your parents to take you to the Doc.
DOES IT HELP?
So, you’re familiar with some of the stuff that happens to people who are stressed out. And it’s not just students in India. Recent research in the United Kingdom has found that stress related to examinations and results has increased alarmingly. And parents and teachers, who often add to a student’s stress by expecting ‘good’ results, also suffer stress. In fact, whether your friends admit it or not, it’s got them, too.
Then, there is all that tension of hordes of us getting into just a few professions that we consider the choice of the Chosen Few. But we need to remember,
self-employment is really ‘in’ today
.
As some of the world’s smartest people are saying over and over again, "I’d rather be an employer than an employee."
If you still want a job, take time to read up NOW on the scores of paying career options out there. One of my happiest friends is a ceramic artist. Another perfectly contented young woman I met, has done urban planning and is consulted by editors and town planners. A friend’s young brother, a good student and an outdoors guy, has joined the tea gardens, and never looked happier. Another man I know, is a tea taster while his sister reads the news on television. So, have faith. There IS a job out there for you.
NOW WHAT?
But the best part about stress is that, if I choose to, I can make it work for me.
Be an optimist. This may not sound like the height of optimism, but it helps to think of the worst case scenario, since you learn to face your enemy squarely.
Maintain a routine. Eat, study, play hard and according to a regimen and you’ll sleep well. Eat fruits, salads, greens. Go slow on aerated drinks, coffee and tea. Remind yourself, with notes left around the house and at your study table, with quotes that inspire, case studies of people who have overcome hurdles and even physical handicap, and give you hope, and of your long term goal. Count your blessings.
Keep talking. To yourself, to your parents, your teacher, the school counsellor, friends, the family dog... I’ve found even being with plants calms me down.
Go out and play rather than play an indoor game. Swim, run, play a team game, kick boxing or switch on to a yoga channel. Exercise makes you see your fears in perspective.
If you are indoors, listen to inspiring music and dance your blues away.
Recognise panic attacks. Most of them strike when you’re alone or at night. If you’re alone, call up a friend, a parent, a sibling, or even a helpline.
Never, ever, take a decision that may harm you physically.
Never doubt that your parents love you. Let me assure you, they love you much more than your marksheet. If you’re wondering how I know, it’s experience. I’ve been through countless exams, failure, strange marksheets I’m sure belonged to someone else. And also because, at the end of it all, I’m the mother of someone like you, who awaits her Board results.
Never, ever, believe just one version of the news. Check, re-check, counter-check. Last year, two students are said to have taken their lives after hearing over the phone and reading an SMS that they had done badly. Both messages were wrong.
Next page: CBSE and other helplines
