Dr. Corinne: Students, Are You Not Sleeping, Not Eating Well and Racing the Clock? Overcome Your Stress Now!
Dr. Corinne Weaver : Aug 30, 2019
Dr. Corinne Weaver
This week, Dr. Corinne offers tips to equip students to perform their best in school as they start a new year.
Since school started this week, I've decided to share some of my techniques for overcoming stress! By the end of this article, you will be equipped with ample methods for preventing and managing stress. No more excuses! I will be talking more to students today, but even if you are not a student, please feel free to share this information with someone who is. (Image: Unsplash-Element5Digital)
My main priority is to help students gain the tools they need to avoid and manage stress. If stress cannot be avoided, having methods to manage stress will serve them well. These are essential skills to have as a student and beyond! By learning stress management techniques, students will be one step ahead of their future colleagues. Managing stress and preventing burnout are necessary life skills that will serve students well their entire lives.
Racing against time
Is there anything more stressful than racing the clock against a looming deadline? This is one of the biggest stressors' students face.
How do you handle the pressure of due dates?
It's so easy to set aside assignments that have far off due dates. However, it's also easy to forget about these assignments. Many students underestimate the time it will take to research and complete tasks and wind up racing against the clock to meet a deadline.
As due dates approach, the stress of not having enough time takes over. This is a stress that can be easily prevented with a little planning. If you want to do well, (and I know you do) it's essential to manage your time wisely.
Today, I would recommend you set up a study schedule. If you don't already have a calendar or weekly planner, get one from your student center, or download a student planner app for your smart devices. As you receive assignments, add due dates immediately. Create a timeline for yourself and create reminders to help keep you on track. You can save yourself a lot of stress if you plan ahead with good time management skills.
The ability to organize is an important skill to learn. This skill is not my strength, so I sometimes have people in my life help me with this. Being organized can bring you the peace of mind that comes from knowing where everything is.
Keeping track of deadlines and test dates, and clearing your mind of the mental clutter associated with disorganization, will go a long way to reduce stress.
Do you have a system in place for staying organized? Where do you keep important information, notes, etc.?
I have a central location where our whole year is planned out. We plan all of our vacations for the following year in December and I plan out all of my teaching and seminars. Of course, things are going to come up. but it's nice to already have our year calendar up so we can review it each month.
If keeping track of multiple subjects stresses you out, look for a "lecture capture" app. I can't believe these exist now! It's helpful as you can listen back to classes to ensure you didn't miss out on any vital information or stress about excessive note-taking.
Where you study can reduce stress
Having a stress-free environment to study in is crucial. Some students prefer complete silence while others need background noise to focus. No matter how you study, make sure to create a pleasant study environment for yourself.
Creating a soothing environment can reduce stress and help you learn. Here are some techniques for creating a stress-free environment:
-Aromatherapy
An essential oil diffuser allows you to burn a variety of scents that can enhance your studies. Peppermint essential oil, for example, is said to wake up your brain.
-Music
If you don't like to study in a quiet space, opt for soothing music, preferably without words. Classical music has been known to help students concentrate.
-Lighting
Make sure you're working in a well-lit space. Natural light is preferable, so try working by a window, or even outside. I enjoy this the most!
It is very important to create a pleasant study environment for yourself. Perhaps there is a space in your room you can organize and declutter to dedicate to your stress-free study zone. My daughter and I just did this in her homeschool room. We created a very beautiful space.
Different learning styles
Understanding how you process information is an excellent tool for making success easier to obtain. When you can tailor your study practices to your specific learning style, you can stress less about how you're going to learn so much new information.
The common learning styles are auditory, visual, and tactile. If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening:
-Sit where you can hear well.
-Have test questions read to you out loud.
-Study new material by reading it out loud.
If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures:
-Sit near the front of the classroom to see the board.
-Try to visualize things that you hear or things that are read to you.
-Write down keywords, ideas, or instructions.
If you are a tactile learner, you learn by touching and doing:
-Participate in activities that involve touching, building, moving, or drawing.
-Do lots of hands-on activities like completing art projects, taking walks, or acting out stories.
-It's OK to chew gum, walk around, or rock in a chair while reading or studying.
You can take this quick 20 question quiz to determine your learning style.
Stay positive!
Staying positive has been proven to improve stress management. Optimists can more easily shrug off failures in order to handle multiple successes.
Not everyone is naturally an optimistic person, and that's okay because optimism can be practiced and increased. Here are steps you can take to be
more optimistic:
- The key to optimism is to maximize your successes and minimize your failures.
- It's beneficial to look honestly at your shortcomings so that you can work on them but focusing on your strengths can never hurt.
- Keep in mind that the more you practice challenging your thought patterns, the more automatic positive thoughts will become. Don't expect major changes in thinking right away, but do expect them to become ingrained over time.
- Always remember that virtually any failure can be a learning experience, and an important step towards your next success!
- Practice positive affirmations. They really work!
Sleeping well and being rested
In order to perform your best, it's crucial to be well-rested. Lack of sleep can cause you to be more reactive to stress.
Additionally, research shows that those who are sleep-deprived have more trouble learning and remembering and perform more poorly in many areas.
Demanding schedules often leave students falling behind when it comes to getting enough sleep. It's essential to create a schedule that allows you to regularly get a good night's rest. Most students need between 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Create a calm sleep environment by decluttering your room. Try turning off your devices 30 minutes before going to bed to allow your mind to slow down. If you have an aromatherapy diffuser, lavender is a good calming bedtime scent.
Top skills you need to master
Here are some top skills you need to master:
Note-taking
-the most successful students rewrite lecture notes within 24 hours of a class
-color code important information with highlighters or colored ink
Mind Maps
-creating mind maps give you a visual representation of concepts, simply take the central subject and then organize your notes around this point
Reading out loud
-reading out loud to yourself helps improve your writing and speaking skills
Teach others
-this will reinforce concepts and ideas
Time management
-make a weekly or daily to-do list
-get up early to get stuff done
Test anxiety
Test anxiety is a common issue experienced by many students. Stress-related to test anxiety can inhibit your ability to perform as well as you otherwise could.
Reduce your anxiety by:
-Studying as much as you need to know the material
-Mimic test-taking conditions to familiarize yourself
-Get extra help; this can be from a tutor or working with a classmate
-Regularly practice a stress-relieving technique that can calm you down
-Give yourself plenty of time
-Get plenty of sleep, especially in the nights leading up to test day
-Exercise regularly to reduce muscle tension
Blow off some steam!
How do you blow off steam? It's essential to find time for activities you enjoy to break up your time. Studying is important and will be a large part of your focus. However, people who don't take time to find enjoyment in their day tend to stress more and have a higher risk of burnout.
Your outlet can be ANYTHING you enjoy. Here are some ideas:
-walking in nature
-getting a meal with friends
-playing on a team sport
-journaling, drawing, painting, etc.
-joining a social club
-jogging
-lifting weights
-knitting
-volunteering
The options are limitless. The key is balancing the things you enjoy doing with studying and getting enough sleep.
Stress Eating vs. Healthy Eating
Most students lack the time, access, or desire to create healthy homemade meals, but healthy eating is an essential tool for stress management.
Not getting enough nutrients can lead to deficiencies and negatively impact different aspects of health. Eating a diet high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and processed foods can disrupt hormone balance and lead to weight gain.
Stress eating is common among students and is associated with creating a cycle of more stress. It's up to you to make healthy food choices.
That doesn't mean you can never indulge in your favorite goodies, but be sure to limit the amount of unhealthy foods you consume. Again, balance is key.
Eating a healthy diet will help you combat stress, sleep better, and function optimally.
I want to inspire you all to explore using healthy foods through smoothies - because they're such a perfect way to sneak in healthy vitamins and minerals that your diet otherwise might be lacking.
Here are a few recipes I picked especially for you as students:
Destress with this Blueberry Walnut Cobbler Smoothie:
-3 oz. blueberries
-2 peeled oranges
-3 tablespoon oats
-3 tablespoon walnuts
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 cup water
-1 cup ice
For a quick pick-me-up, whip up a Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie:
-half cup of almond milk
-2 tablespoon peanut butter
-1 tablespoon honey
-1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
-1 banana
-1 cup ice cubes
Nourish your study session with a Brain Power Smoothie:
-2 cups blueberries
-1 cup pomegranate juice
-1 cup ice cubes
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
-1 ripe banana, peeled
-half of an avocado, peeled and pitted
BREATHE!
Lastly, the fastest way to find calm is to simply breathe.
It's truly that simple!
When you stop to focus on your breathing, your entire body becomes more relaxed, and the mind will follow.
Your final task is to practice the 4-7-8 breath throughout the day.
Here's how:
-Exhale completely through your nose, making a whoosh sound.
-Inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
-Hold your breath for a count of seven.
-Exhale completely through your nose, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
-This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
My mission is to help you get healthier without needing more medications. Join here to get my FREE ebook and join the INNER Circle if you want accountability to take action for your health.
By joining this circle, you have the unique opportunity to ask questions and share personal experiences while engaging with like-minded individuals and gaining the support of health professionals who are experts in health and wellness.
I am looking forward to Showing Up more in your life and Serving you Better!! Don't forget to Listen to the No More Meds Podcast and join the No More Meds Movement with me. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
Keep Breathing,
Dr. Corinne Weaver
Email: Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com
Website: www.DrCorinneWeaver.com
Dr. Corinne Weaver is a compassionate upper cervical chiropractor, educator, motivational speaker, mother of three, and internationally bestselling author. In 2004, she founded the Upper Cervical Wellness Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Over the last 13 years, she has helped thousands of clients restore their brain to-body function. When she was 10 years old, she lost her own health as the result of a bike accident that led to having asthma and allergy issues that she thought she would always have to endure. Then, after her first upper cervical adjustment at age 21, her health began to improve thanks to upper cervical care and natural herbal remedies. This enabled her to create a drug-free wellness lifestyle for herself and her family, and she also enthusiastically discovered her calling to help children heal naturally.
Dr. Weaver was named one of Charlotte Magazine's "Top Doctors" in 2016 and is now a number-one internationally bestselling author to two books: Learning How to Breathe and No More Meds.
Upper Cervical Wellness Center is known for finding the root cause of health concerns through lifestyle changes, diagnostic testing, nutraceutical supplementation, and correction of subluxation (as opposed to just medicating the symptoms). The practice offers cutting-edge technological care at its state-of-the-art facility, including laser-aligned upper cervical X-rays, bioimpedance analysis (measures body composition), digital thermography (locates thermal abnormalities characterized by skin inflammation), and complete nutritional blood analysis, which is focused on disease prevention.